The lectern Martin Luther King Jr. used during his 1964 visit to Bridgeport's Klein Memorial Auditorium was rediscovered and restored.

The piece was discovered and restored by Laurence Caso, the director of the Klein Memorial.

People lined up for hours in March 1964 outside of the Klein for a chance to see King in person, and now the wooden lectern that he spoke at has a new lease on life.

Photos obtained by News 12 show the day King was in Bridgeport using the lectern at the auditorium’s stage.

Almost 60 years later, the same lectern, which was recently found in storage and restored for a prominent new role here as a historical artifact.

"A piece of history like this, it's tangible, it's a part of us, and as executive director of the Klein, I can take an extra special pride because now I'm the caretaker of it," said Caso.

The nonprofit Connect-Us will be hosting a celebration at the Klein on Monday, where the newly restored MLK lectern will be part of the festivities.