New London — The much anticipated reopening of the restaurant and bar at the landmark Lighthouse Inn could come as early as this fall.

That’s the goal of owner Alwyn Christy, who has spent many of his waking hours over the last year overseeing infrastructure updates and repairs to damaged guest rooms in the property’s 23,000-square-foot main mansion.

Much of the damage was caused by roof leaks that had seeped into ceilings, walls and floors of the more than 100-year-old building. Much of the structural work in the 26 guest rooms is completed and the smell of mold and mildew that once forced visitors to wear breathing masks has dissipated.

Christy, during a brief tour last Thursday, said his focus now is on the cleanup and finish work needed on the first floor, where the bar, kitchen and banquet area are located. The plan is to get the first floor open for business while continuing work in the upstairs guest rooms. There is still a lot of work to do, but he contends that, once the sawdust is cleared away, much of what exists will still be usable.

Standing behind a new bar top in the former 1902 Tavern, Christy explained that work has taken longer than expected in part because of an obvious lack of maintenance even before the doors abruptly closed to the public in 2008. Leaky toilets had gone unchecked in some places and caused damage inside walls. Moldy sheetrock had been covered over and painted in places.

Christy purchased the inn at auction from the city for $260,000 in November 2016. The city had acquired the vacant property at a tax auction three years earlier and made several unsuccessful attempts to attract a developer who would take direction from the city.

The years of inactivity took their toll on the building in some ways, Christy said.

“It took some time to get a handle on what we were working with,” he said. “At this point in time, we’ve taken care of all the structural stuff. We’ve done a lot of the heavy lifting. What’s left is cosmetics. We’ve peeled away the layers to do it the right way.”

While the earliest work focused on repairs to the leaking roof and dormers, Christy said the completed major updates include the installation of a new HVAC and water heating system for the first floor, along with conversion from oil to natural gas. The kitchen has been gutted. He’s also hauled away seven Dumpsters worth of debris. A plethora of furniture remains inside, though Christy still is investigating how much might be reused.

“We don’t want to waste anything that can be salvaged, but we also don’t want to just paint things over,” he said.

He also acknowledges outside work still is needed — window replacements, stucco  work and landscaping the 4.2-acre property at 48 Guthrie Place. There is also the carriage house, which used to be home to 24 additional guest rooms. Christy said he has yet to decide what to do with that building but is thinking creatively.

He said he is also looking for the right operator to run the restaurant and is likely to seek out more financing as the renovation work continues.

“I think we are in a good place. If things go well, by fall we’ll have the first floor up and running,” Christy said. “Later we can bring a few rooms online at a time.”

Christy said he doesn’t need a reminder that New Londoners are anxious about the reopening of the inn. The reminders have come almost daily in the form of visitors stopping in to reminisce about family reunions, weddings and other special events held at the local landmark. One recent visitor laid claim to having stayed in every one of the inn’s guest rooms.

“It’s taking a lot of time but we are trying to do it right,” he said.

Built in 1902 by steel magnate Charles S. Guthrie, the Lighthouse Inn, formerly known as Meadow Court, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

g.smith@theday.com