Stonington — U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, announced Wednesday that the House of Representatives has passed his amendment to return control of the Old Stonington Wharf to the town as part of the Water Resources Development Act of 2016.

The Senate already has included the amendment in its version of the legislation. Both houses of Congress now need to reconcile their versions of the bill before it can be passed.

If that occurs, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers can decommission the wharf and turn control of it over to the town, which, along with the borough, has formed a task force to restore the 189-year-old structure behind Stonington Commons in the borough.

The committee wants to rebuild the wharf not only for historical reasons but to better protect the east side of the harbor during storms.

During House discussion of his amendment, Courtney said, “The Old Stonington Wharf is an historic treasure and the town deserves the chance to restore it for future generations to enjoy. Unfortunately, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has allowed this historic landmark to deteriorate over the years without regular maintenance and repairs. I applaud the hard working local officials including Task Force Chair Peter Tacy, Stonington First Selectman Rob Simmons and retiring state Sen. Andy Maynard for putting a plan of action in place to get the work done."

"I was pleased that the House passed my amendment today, and I will continue to press my colleagues in the House and Senate to make sure it is included in the final version after the bills have been conferenced,” he said.

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 so wide and flat that small trucks and wagons could drive out to unload the schooners that tied up there. Actually a breakwater, it 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 8½ feet above the average low water level, are now submerged.