Stonington — As more than 60 people stood before the Old Lighthouse Museum on Saturday to mark the start of a major restoration project, speakers noted Stonington Historical Society's foresight in creating the country’s first lighthouse museum.

"We are here to acknowledge the significance of this historic national landmark building and what it means to our community, this town, our state and our nation," historical society board President Michael Schefers said during the groundbreaking ceremony for the building's restoration.

Local and state officials, members of the historical society and community members attended the ceremony under a sunny sky, which Borough Warden Jeff Callahan called a "good omen" for the project, which has been years in the making.

The restoration project first will address the stabilization and rehabilitation of the historic stone structure and, second, accessibility for all patrons, said Conrad Ello of Oudens Ello Architecture, the Boston architecture firm designing the project with the historical society.

The building, constructed in 1840 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, contains repurposed granite from an earlier lighthouse that used to stand on Stonington Point, he said.

Ello said it's remarkable that many of the craftsmen that constructed the building — and the people who witnessed the construction — were likely alive during the 1814 Battle of Stonington in the War of 1812.

The structure served as a lighthouse and then as a home to keepers and their families for decades, he said.

After a brief period of dormancy, the society acquired the building in 1925, and it has been serving as a museum for decades.

"Members of this community have been involved with this building for a long, long time and we are the heirs of that history and that legacy — and we are the fortunate heirs of that history and legacy because this property could be a large house or multiple houses and it's not," First Selectman Rob Simmons said. He added that because of their vision and their foresight, community members created the first lighthouse museum in America right here in Stonington Borough.

The project's first phase — which is anticipated to wrap up by the spring — includes refinishing floors, repointing masonry on the outside the building and a new HVAC system to provide a "climate-controlled environment" for the museum's artifacts, according to a news release from the historical society.

The next phase — which will take place in a year — calls for a new visitor center addition with a handicapped-accessible entrance and restroom, as well as an information and ticketing desk and staff workspace, Ello said.

Past President Rob Palmer said the project will "repair and restore and preserve the building as a museum and historic landmark for years to come."

After the groundbreaking ceremony, attendees peeked inside the museum where the artifacts, including on whaling history and the Battle of Stonington, had been removed to prepare for the restoration project.

Chelsea Mitchell, the interim executive director of the Stonington Historical Society, said the temperature-controlled environment will not only allow the society to take better care of the collections but also put more items on display, including more artifacts related to Stonington's transportation history. 

When the first phase is completed and the museum opens in the spring, there will be new exhibits, including one on Venture Smith.

Mitchell likened the lighthouse to the "heart of Stonington."

"It's been here for so long, and it's witnessed so much change and just stayed the same, and I think it's our due diligence to take care of it," Mitchell said. "This is the first step in a new breath of life into the lighthouse."

"Through the past, we come to better understand our culture, our shared values, and the world we live in today," Gov. Ned Lamont wrote to the historical society. "We are lucky to have tangible reminders of this past, such as the Old Lighthouse in Stonington, which serve as valuable tools in the processes of education, reflection, and discovery."

In a letter to the historical society, U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, noted the museum's "over four-hundred years of Connecticut history highlighting Stonington's pivotal role in our nation's maritime commerce."

"As time passes and our world continues to modernize it is so crucial that places hold onto their deep historical roots," he wrote. "It is admirable that decades later the Stonington Historical Society is still taking up the mantle to maintain and expand the landmarks that represent our state's proud legacy."

State Rep. Kate Rotella, D-Stonington, and state Sen. Heather Somers, R-Groton, presented the historical society with a citation from the state.

k.drelich@theday.com