North Stonington — The town may look at restoring the “Greene Gables” cottage on the town-owned Hewitt Farm property.

Frank Eppinger, president of the North Stonington Historical Society, made a presentation to the Board of Selectmen Tuesday night, asking that the town look into either spending money or applying for a grant to pay for repairs to Greene Gables.

The house was home in the early 20th century to Fred Stewart Greene — an artist and photographer who also ran a studio and art school there. The Historical Society owns more than 2,000 of his photo negatives and more than 1,000 original paintings and drawings.

“It is a unique historic, cultural, and educational aspect located smack in the middle of the Hewitt Farm and on town property,” Eppinger said.

Eppinger said many of the overgrown trees have been removed, but the roof and other parts of the structure are still in need of repair. Eppinger said the building could be used in the future for a seasonal “artist in residence” program, or even as office space for the Hewitt Farm Committee.

“We would like to see it secured and stabilized and protected so that it can have a future use and that it can be enjoyed by the public of North Stonington,” he said.

Selectman Shawn Murphy said a vote would need to be taken before the town looks at spending any money — even grant money — and First Selectman Nick Mullane agreed that a town meeting would be “appropriate.” They and members of the Historical Society attending the meeting agreed that an evaluation of the building’s needs — and plan for what the building would look like post-repairs — would need to be completed first.

— Anna Isaacs