Deep River, in Middlesex County, is located in the lower Connecticut River Valley. It lies in southern Connecticut on the Connecticut River. Formerly called Eight Mile Meadow or Potapaug Quarter, the area was originally part of Saybrook Colony. It was incorporated in 1859 as Saybrook and renamed Deep River in 1947. The town also includes the village of Winthrop to its west. An early shipbuilding and quarrying town, it later manufactured wire goods, lace, glass, ivory combs, and piano keys. Every July the town hosts the Annual Ancient Muster of Fife and Drum Corps.
Featured
The World’s Record for the Largest Muster – Who Knew?
Deep River, Connecticut holds the distinction of hosting the largest Ancient Fife and Drum Muster, setting the record in 1976. …[more]
Learn More
Places
“Deep River Historical Society,” 2013. Link.
Deep River Historical Society. “Stone House,” 2013. Link.
Documents
Connecticut State Library Digital Collections. “Deep River - WPA Architectural Survey,” 2014. Link.
“Deep River Collection.” Connecticut Digital Archive, n.d. Link.
“Map - Town of Deep River, Conn. (Petersen Collection).” ca. 1850s. University of Connecticut Libraries - Map and Geographic Information Center - MAGIC. Link.
Woodford, E. M. “Map of the Towns of Saybrook and Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, Connecticut Surveyed and Drawn by E.m. Woodford, Lith. of Friend & Aub., Wagner & Mcguigan’s Steam Lith. Press.” Philadelphia, PA: R. Clark, 1853. Connecticut Historical Society. Link.
Books
Stevens, Thomas. Along the Waterfront at the Deep River on the Connecticut: A Brief Maritime History of Our Town in Sailing Ship Days. Deep River, CT: Deep River Historical Society, 1979.
Beers, F. W. County Atlas of Middlesex, Connecticut: From Actual Surveys. New York, NY: F.W. Beers & Company, 1874. Link.
Malcarne, Don. Deep River and Ivoryton. Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 2002.
Connors, Daniel. Deep River the Illustrated Story of a Connecticut River Town. Stonington, CT: Pequot Press, 1966.
Stevens, Thomas. Potapoug Quarter: The First Settlers of Essex, Connecticut. Essex, CT: Connecticut River Foundation, 1984.
Connors, Daniel. Saybrook and the American Revolution: The Saybrook Town Acts, 1774-1783. Deep River, CT: Deep River Bicentennial Committee of the Deep River Historical Society, 1976.