Plans are moving forward to bring the Wyeth-Tootle Mansion back to its former glory.

Ornate wood floors will resurface after decades beneath worn linoleum. Repaired exterior walls will give a spruced-up appearance from the street. And workers have already started to uncover a 19th-century fresco from under layers of white paint on the ceiling of the mansion’s Louis XIV Room.

These are just a few items from St. Joseph Museum Inc.’s long-range plan, which will bring its facilities — including the mansion — into the future while maintaining their historic past.

Clark Hampton has spent recent months touting the plan. He also serves as chairman of the museum’s Buildings and Grounds Committee that has drafted a list of projects it plans to complete within the mansion. The list tells what will be done, when it will be completed and who is responsible.

“If you don’t have ‘who,’ specifically, it’s never going to get done,” Mr. Hampton said.

When work is complete, the mansion’s ground floor will be used primarily as a 19th-century reception hall. Mr. Hampton said the second and third floors will hold exhibits on other historic buildings from St. Joseph, their architects, and information about the companies that occupied the buildings, among other things.

Mr. Hampton said the museum will begin several small jobs in the upcoming months. Other tasks must wait until the city completes repairs to the exterior of the mansion.

City officials met with five contractors Tuesday to discuss renovations the city plans for the mansion later this year.

Jackie Lewin, executive director of St. Joseph Museums Inc., said exterior construction was expected to begin Aug. 10.

“It will affect us as far as the events we have,” Ms. Lewin said of the project. “We don’t want to schedule many events where someone would want the exterior to look very nice, like weddings and such.”

She hoped work would be complete in time for the mansion’s holiday lighting ceremony.

Clinton Thomas can be reached at clintonthomas@npgco.com.