Deep River Historical Society

The Stone House, its property, and most of the contents of the home were bequeathed to the Deep River Historical Society in 1946 upon the death of Ada Southworth Munson, the sole surviving member of the Southworth family. Ada was the granddaughter of Ezra Southworth, who built the stone part of the house, consisting of four rooms, in 1840 as a home for he and his new wife, Eunice Post Southworth. The stone used in its construction came from quarries on the homestead property. The original house had a flat tin roof, with a slight slope toward the rear. Later, a plain gable was constructed over the first roof, which then became the floor of what became the attic. The present parlor was the kitchen of the original house.

A wooden addition was constructed in 1881 prior to the marriage of Ezra & Fanny Southworth's only child, Ezra Job Birney Southworth, to Fanny Shortland of Chester. When the addition was built, the window in the first floor kitchen/parlor looking out to the rear was built over, thus burying it within what became an interior wall. The same was true on the second floor window in the bedroom.

The Munson Room was also part of that 1881 addition. Originally, it was divided into three bedrooms. Now, without the dividing walls, it is used for displaying artifacts related to Deep River's history.

The large wraparound porch was added to the house in 1898.

In June, 1889, a new barn was built, and in 1899, a large addition was made to the barn. The barn was renamed the Carriage House when the society, under the leadership of Robert Ingram, converted it into a meeting room and gallery in 1991. It now has on exhibit the Winthrop mule-drawn school bus, a buggy, an 1881 high wheel bicycle, a sleigh, a corn sheller, and a harpoon motorboat made at Pratt Read & Company. The renovated Carriage House, which has collections of arrowheads, walking sticks, historic maps, photographs, Deep River High School memorabilia, World War I and II artifacts, and school bells from the then Deep River School and the Winthrop School, is used for special exhibits. The Carriage House is also available for use by organizations and individuals for meetings and receptions.