Stonington — An effort to restore the Town Wharf along the east side of Stonington harbor has gotten a boost from the state’s two U.S. senators.

Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy announced last week that they had convinced the authors of the federal Water Resources Development Act to amend the act so the wharf could be returned to town control.

A committee of borough, town and Stonington Harbor Management Commission officials, which is working to revitalize the almost 200-year-old wharf, first needs the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to decommission the wharf so the town can assume control. The committee wants to rebuild the wharf not only for historical reasons but to better protect the east side of the harbor during storms.

“The Old Stonington Wharf is an historic treasure — a proud symbol of the town’s sea-faring and maritime heritage. The wharf has unacceptably been allowed to deteriorate under inadequate stewardship by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and we applaud local efforts to reclaim and revitalize this celebrated marker. We were proud to help lead efforts today to return the wharf back to its rightful hands, and urge the House to adopt this measure,” Blumenthal and Murphy said in announcing the development.

The wharf, more commonly known as the Monsanto Breakwater, is located on the southern boundary of the Stonington Commons property and can be accessed by a public walkway off Water Street.

Built in 1827 out of massive stones, it once had a top that was was so wide and flat that small trucks and wagons could drive out to unload the schooners that tied up there. Actually a breakwater, was seen in photographs and postcards. It was damaged by the Hurricane of 1938 and subsequent storms and today large portions of the structure, which once stood 8 1/2 feet above mean low water, are submerged.