For more than a century, the Town Wharf built in 1827 behind what is now Stonington Commons was an iconic part of the borough.

Constructed out of massive stones, the top was wide and flat so not only could residents stroll out to the end to watch sailboat races, but small trucks and wagons could drive out to unload the schooners that tied up to the stone bollards. Steps were cut into its side and a navigational light was placed at the end. The wharf, which was actually a breakwater, was seen in photographs and postcards.

"In many ways it really is the symbol of the village, maybe even more so than the (Old) Lighthouse (Museum)," said Stonington Harbor Management Commission member Peter Tacy.

But the wharf was damaged by the Hurricane of 1938 and subsequent storms such as Hurricanes Donna (1960) and Gloria (1985) have continued the deterioration. Today at high tide, large portions of the structure, which once stood 8 1/2 feet above mean low water, are submerged.

Now a committee of borough, town and harbor management commission officials are developing a plan to rebuild the wharf and return it to its former glory, not only for historical reasons but to better protect the east side of the harbor during future storms. The Skipper's Dock wharf, for example, was badly damaged in hurricanes Irene (2011) and Sandy (2012).

"The harbor management commission and the borough said 'we have to do something or this will be gone,' " explained Tacy.

Tacy said the wharf, which is narrower than a traditional wharf, was among a number of structures built by the federal government just after the War of 1812 to make harbors more usable for coastal trade.

He said the impressive structure, fashioned out of cut stone, was built over a three-year period. Along with a shoal to the west, it helped protect the harbor from storms.

In the late 19th century, the Army Corps of Engineers built the two outer breakwaters in the harbor to provide "harbors of refuge" for coastal vessels, according to the harbor commission. It then removed the shoal.

Around World War II Tacy said the Army Corps decided to stop maintaining the wharf because it had the outer breakwaters. Abandoned, it began to fall apart. That deterioration has accelerated over the past 25 years, Tacy said.

The wharf is more commonly known as the Monsanto Breakwater or the Atwood Breakwater after the companies that operated there in the 20th century.

It is located on the southern boundary of the Stonington Commons property and can be accessed by a public walkway on Water Street across from Trumbull Street.

Tacy credited State Sen. Andrew Maynard, D-18th District, for having the vision to get the restoration effort going. He said Maynard was able to get the state to appropriate the $30,000 needed to hire an engineering firm to design the project and come up with a cost estimate. That study is expected to be completed this summer.

While no cost estimate is yet available for the work, Tacy expects it would be in the "single digit millions."

"If you want to find a non-divisive issue in the borough this is it," he said, adding that there residents who remember riding bikes and fishing on the wharf.

It was also a popular spot for dating couples to take walks and there were even marriage proposals made on it, according to Tacy.

He said efforts will be made to obtain state and federal funding for the project. He added the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, which stresses the importance of public access to coastline, has been supportive of the restoration idea.

"The process may be a long one, but it is a matter of real importance, for both practical and historical reasons," stated the harbor management commission in its summer 2014 newsletter.

J.WOJTAS@THEDAY.COM

TWITTER: @JOEWOJTAS