UPDATED: A National Coast Guard Museum For Downtown

The details of the plan to locate the National Coast Guard Museum in New London were revealed at a Friday morning ceremony, which confirmed the location as a downtown site and shared schematics for the proposed design. 

The plans call for the museum to be located on a city-owned parcel of land on the Thames River waterfront, between City Pier and the Cross Sound Ferry terminal. Accompanying projects include an enclosed pedestrian bridge to cross the railroad tracks and access the site and a new terminal for high speed ferries. 

The design by architects Urs Gauchat and Tony Santos shows a four-story museum with a maritime theme, including a curving southern wing meant to emulate a ship’s prow. The total size of the museum would be 54,300 feet.

Admiral Robert J. Papp, commandant of the Coast Guard, said the main questions he has received have been why there is a need for a national museum and why it should be located in New London. In answer to the first, Papp said he thought the service deserves a monument to its members. 

“This museum will serve that role, honoring the brave young and men, who have continuously stepped forward, raised their hand, sworn to defend the Constitution of the United States, and have put on the uniform of the United States Coast Guard,” said Papp. “They deserve it. That’s why I want this museum.” 

Papp also said New London has a close connection with the service, both in its current role as the home of the Coast Guard Academy and other Coast Guard institutions and in the service’s history. Papp said in reviewing the Tariff Act of 1790, the year the Coast Guard was first established as the Revenue Cutter Service, New London was the home of the Argus, one of the first 10 cutters commissioned by the U.S. government. 

“We are inextricably linked to this city,” said Papp. “And rather than say, ‘Why New London?’ I say, ‘Why not New London?’ That is the question to ask.”

Museum plans

Gauchat said the south wing of the museum will feature large windows to let in natural light and look out over the river. The north wing, with exhibits that will require artificial light, will be located on the interior. A four-story atrium with a glass ceiling will connect the two. 

The fourth floor will include a multipurpose room and rooftop terrace. Another option in the plans is relocating the tall ship Eagle, a Coast Guard Academy training ship, to the deep water port at City Pier. Gauchat said having the historic Union Station nearby and having the Eagle as a possible sight for drivers coming down State Street contributed to the decision of the location. 

“It’s quite an extraordinary spot,” he said. “If you could figure out a place to put a museum, this is it.” 

The museum would be located on a plinth built above storm levels, with a 20-foot setback to provide access for emergency vehicles. Ampitheater style steps would allow seating for outdoor events. 

The enclosed pedestrian bridge is designed to facilitate visitors across the railroad tracks and prevent delays when trains are boarding at the station. It would have access points at the station’s northbound platform, between the station and ferry terminal, and adjacent to the station. The state has contributed up to $20 million to complete this portion of the project. 

The new ferry terminal would be built as a “discrete but integral part of the waterfront complex” to provide ticket counters, waiting areas, and other services for passengers of high-speed catamarans. 

The plans also call for the museum to have a mix of permanent and revolving exhibits, as well as special events. Exhibits would include interactive and virtual exhibits, including a simulated bridge and an exhibit tracking a rescue swimmer saving lives at sea. 

“They will smell an angry ocean, feel the sting of the North Atlantic sea, and come to admire again the sacrifices and nobility of the past, present, and future Coast Guard,” said James Coleman, president of the National Coast Guard Museum Association. 

Patrick Gallagher, whose firm Gallagher & Associates is designing the exhibits for the museum, said it will also be able to partner with schools in New London and across Connecticut as part of their science, technology, mathematics, and engineering curriculum.

“They’ll not just learn, but they’ll enjoy and they’ll come back,” he said. 

Reaction 

The ceremony was held in the conference room of the Science and Technology Magnet High School, which was backed with local, state, and federal officials. Gov. Dannel Malloy said the milestone was a result of numerous different parties working together, and said he thinks the museum will be an asset for the region.

“I see greatness in New London and Norwich and surrounding communities, and frankly the entirety of this portion of the state,” Malloy said. “This is a good, strong investment in the future of a great community which is on its way back, building again.”

Mayor Daryl Finizio also thanked the partners on the project, saying in particular that the proposal would not have succeeded without the cooperation of Union Station and Cross Sound Ferry. He said continued cooperation among different partners and government officials will be necessary to see the project through to completion. 

“When cadets go to the Naval Academy, they say, ‘I went to Annapolis.’ When cadets go to the Military Academy, for the United States Army, they say, ‘I went to West Point.’ It’s because of your leadership, Commandant Papp, that one day cadets that go to the Coast Guard Academy will say, ‘I went to New London,’” said Finizio. “Thank you, Admiral, for your leadership,” said Finizio. “Thank you for believing in this project, and thank you for believing in the city of New London.”

Senator Chris Murphy said he thought the museum will be an ideal way to honor the Coast Guard and its connection to Connecticut. 

“This is going to be transformational for this city and the region,” he said. “We don’t know how many people will come to this beautiful, gleaming new museum but we know the impact they’ll have on this economy and on the culture of this part of the state.” 

Senator Richard Blumenthal said the museum has long been contemplated, and thanked various parties for ensuring that it would be located in Connecticut. 

“You have a proud and extraordinary history of serving our nation in times of tremendous danger and historic importance, and that history will be documented in this museum,” he said. 

Papp promised to continue working toward the effort. He said he thinks the museum can be a focal point of the city and a way of encouraging economic development by capitalizing on the waterfront. 

“We can’t just go down to the waterfront when we have the waterfront festivals,” said Papp. “We need to have something that’s attracting people down to the waterfront all the time. And I believe this museum will do it.”

 At the close of the ceremony, Finizio presented Papp with a rare 13-star American flag that dated back to the Revolutionary War. He said the New London County Historical Society had voted to commit to loan the flag to the museum. 

“This national treasure will belong in the national treasure that we’ve announced today,” he said.

“We have our first exhibit,” Papp replied.

11:20 a.m. update

Plans revealed for the 54,300 square foot National Coast Guard Museum today include:

• A location on a city-owned parcel of land between City Pier and the Cross Sound Ferry terminal
  
• A design by Urs Gauchat and Tony Santos to emulate the prow of a ship and reflect New London's maritime heritage
  
• Exhibits on the Coast Guard's past, its present mission, and its future with interactive exhibits including the simulation of a ship's bridge and following a rescue swimmer's mission
  
• An enclosed pedestrian overpass with points of access adjacent to Union Station, on the northbound passenger platform, and between the museum and the ferry terminal
  
• A new ferry terminal to accommodate about 500 passengers
  
• The possibility of docking the barque Eagle at City Pier
  

Original story:

Materials presented at the beginning of a presentation on the National Coast Guard Museum confirm a piece of city-owned downtown property as the location for the museum.

The presentation will start at 10 a.m. Plans show a four-story building near City Pier, with a pedestrian overpass leading into the site. These also call for the integration of a Cross Sound Ferry terminal as a "discrete but integral part of the waterfront complex."

This article will be updated with more information after the presentation.