State and local officials were on hand this morning to announce funding for the restoration of the Perry Memorial Arch located at the entrance of Seaside Park in Bridgeport.

Funds for the project are coming from a $500,000 federal grant.

Officials say the nearly 50 feet tall archway has experienced years of gradual deterioration.

"This arch is a gem. It's the gateway to Seaside Park, one of the most beautiful parks in the country – but it is deteriorating," said U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal. "The gutters, the roof, granite, foundation all need repair to restore it to the pristine treasure that it was in 1918."

The arch was built in 1918 as a tribute to William Perry, a former superintendent at the Wheeler and Wilson sewing machine company that was based in Bridgeport in the latter half of the 1800s.