 The Merrells enlarged the building, adding its third story ballroom and its two-story porch in 1838.The inn's taproom is remarkably well-preserved, with nearly all of its original features intact, including painted oak graining.The inn was acquired in the 20th century by the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (now Historic New England, or HNE), which operated it as one of its museum properties for a time.