Welcome to the Lighthouse Campaign

ILLUMINATING OUR PAST, ENLIGHTENING OUR FUTURE

The Historic Stonington Lighthouse Museum Project

More than 100 years ago, Historic Stonington (formerly the Stonington Historical Society) stepped forward to preserve the 1840 Stonington Harbor Light and create a museum dedicated to Stonington’s history. Since then, the Lighthouse Museum has stood as a beacon, inspiring generations of students, visitors, and residents of Southeastern Connecticut and beyond.

In 2022, with generous support from donors and our community, Historic Stonington completed extensive renovations to the Lighthouse Museum. Significant improvements were made to the building’s structural integrity and environmental footprint including new climate controls, electrical systems, wiring, and barriers against moisture and insects.

Historic Stonington made a promise to our community. Universal access to the Lighthouse Museum for all.

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2026 Lighthouse Museum Addition Footprint Overview

Pine Point School Visits the Venture Smith Exhibit at Historic Stonington's Lighthouse Museum

WHAT WILL OUR LEGACY BE?

This is a question we ask ourselves often as the keepers of Stonington’s history and the Lighthouse Museum. The answer is always the same. We want to be a resource for our community of students, educators, visitors, partners, and for our future; to serve as a catalyst for engagement with the past as a tool to recognize our place in time and fully appreciate our role in the world today. We want to welcome everyone.

WHY?

The Historic Stonington Lighthouse Museum welcomes more than ten thousand visitors each year. Since early 2023, field trips to the Lighthouse Museum have quadrupled and our classroom outreach initiatives have tripled. Visitors come from around the world and include students of all ages, educators, local and state officials, as well as residents of Stonington and surrounding communities. They come to see the 1840 Lighthouse and climb its tower, to enjoy the open space and the panoramic views of Little Narragansett Bay, and they come to explore the exhibits that tell the stories of Historic Stonington.

Improvements to the grounds and buildings will enhance the property and the visitor experience with dynamic, accessible museum space, and an inviting terrace with granite benches. Significant grading amendments to one of the few remaining green spaces in Stonington Borough will greatly improve the venue for community concerts, holiday picnics, celebrations, and family programs.

As an iconic feature of our local cultural landscape and the anchor of a new cultural district, the Lighthouse is a primary destination for our community and for visitors. These improvements will allow us the opportunity to increase engagement and create an accessible, informational resource for educators, visitors, and our community. Please join us!

Venture Smith Exhibit - Impact on Children

Historic Stonington Lighthouse Museum Comment Card 2

Historic Stonington Lighthouse Museum Comment Card 4

”Stonington means a great deal to me. The Lighthouse is just part of home; I know it inside and out.
Prue Fairbrother MeehanDonor to the Lighthouse Museum Campaign

WHY NOW?

2025 marked 100 years the Lighthouse has served as a museum, a place to gather, celebrate, and learn. Building on that vision, we are creating a venue where a diversity of ideas, peoples, places, and perspectives come together to inspire and educate. These improvements provide access for all, enhance exhibit spaces, make significant improvements to the landscape, and expands our capacity for programs, collaborations, and educational initiatives.

In 2017, we made a promise to this community. We promised preservation, restoration, and access. We are almost there, but we need your help to bring this vision to life. We need your help to build this for the future of Historic Stonington.

Class visit to Historic Stonington's Lighthouse Museum

A New Interpretation

In the spring of 2025, we reassessed our goals and made the decision to pursue the objective of access and to pursue affordable options within our means. We built a new team with a new vision. Working with McBride Architects and Reed Hilderbrand Landscape Architects, we are excited to make this real. A new entrance will provide access to the entire first floor of the Museum for those with physical challenges. Hardscaping will provide new opportunities for engagement and welcome visitors to the grounds. Let us know what you think.

DESIGN TEAM

In 2025, McBride Architects and Reed Hilderbrand Landscape Architects were engaged to take a fresh look at providing universal access to the site. Priorities were a welcoming and inclusive entry that could be accomplished within our means.

DESIGN & APPROVAL

Building on the vision and previous plans that date back to 2012, the current design work accomplishes the goal of universal access with minimal impact on the character of the site. Stonington Borough Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved our plan, thus allowing Historic Stonington to proceed with the new vision for the Lighthouse Museum

COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP

To manage the restoration and construction of the addition, we have recruited a dedicated Lighthouse Museum Committee that includes architects, landscape architects, marketing and public relations professionals, historic preservation experts, neighbors, and community members who care deeply about this project.

DESIGN

November 2019 – April 2020: Interior & Exterior Restoration

Summer and Fall 2025: Revised Design Development

Fall 2026: Ground breaking

Spring 2027: Project Completion

PROJECTED BUDGET

New hardscaping
Relocation of exterior artifacts
Seaside Terrace & Landscaping
Walking Paths

Total: $850,000

THE PLANS

Photo Gallery

Video Interview

Conrad Ello is the lead architect on the Lighthouse Restoration Project and partner in the Boston architecture firm Oudens Ello. In this video, he discusses the challenges and opportunities created by this project. His firm specializes in cultural, academic and commercial projects.

Our Legacy and Shared History

We are grateful for the generous support of the Historic Stonington and Lighthouse Museum Campaign. You made the renovation and restoration of the historic Lighthouse possible and we have been able to leverage those improvements into a greater impact for students, educators, and visitors. We made a promise to our community and there is still much to do. This worthy effort could be OUR legacy celebrating OUR shared history. Contact Executive Director Elizabeth Wood at director@historicstonington.org to learn more about this project and how your family’s leadership gift may be forever remembered as an important contribution to the character of our seaside community.

An Accessible Museum with Expanded Exhibits
A Place to Gather, Learn, and Share Resources
An Open Space for Visitors and Residents
A Venue for Community Events

Support the Historic Stonington Lighthouse Museum Project

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Donate a Custom Amount or a Gift of Stock

If you’d like to make a custom donation or a gift of stock, please contact Executive Director Elizabeth Wood via phone at (860) 535-8445 x 10 or via email at director@historicstonington.org

EIN # 06-0966415

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