The building is one of the best preserved of a small number of gable-roofed railroad stations surviving from the first decade of rail development in New Hampshire.

Displaying the Greek Revival style, with modifications that proclaim its identity as a new building type, the depot is an important artifact in the history and evolution of railroad architecture in New Hampshire.

Other comparable depots on the Concord and Claremont line, and on its sister Contoocook Valley Railroad, have disappeared.

The building not only served as the point of arrival and departure for travelers to and from the village, but also offered other forms of communication.

Not until the Newbury Cut was completed in 1871 were trains at last able to travel to Newport and finally, in 1872, to make contact with the Connecticut River at Claremont on the railroad's own tracks.

[2] The Contoocook Riverway Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1999 that owns the railroad depot, train car and property.

The $400,000 restoration project was funded by federal grants administered through the State Department of Transportation and by community donations.

The depot's surviving interior details include two ticket windows and most of the original walls and ceilings, still covered with tongue-and-groove paneling common in the late 19th century.

In 2007, a wooden Pullman Passenger Coach was donated to the Contoocook Riverway Association and placed on rails behind the depot, as if ready to pass through the bridge once again.

Second floor renovations taking place in 2013 have included a meeting room, museum displays, historic document archives and an additional bathroom.

[3] Media related to Contoocook Railroad Depot at Wikimedia Commons This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Park Service.