Sag Harbor, Mattituck Preservation Efforts Earn Awards

The Church in Sag Harbor and the Mattituck Creek Tide Mill won awards for excellence in historic preservation from Preservation Long Island, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the region’s historic sites.

Artists April Gornik and Eric Fischl will be honored for their efforts in renovating The Church while Anthony Martignetti — a restauranteur, author, and designer — is being recognized for preserving the Mattituck Creek Tide Mill during an awards ceremony in Cold Spring Harbor on Jan. 25.

“This year’s awardees demonstrate not only excellence in historically sensitive design and rehabilitation, they also represent successful preservation efforts in a wide range of areas that include individual and community-driven leadership for the protection of historically significant sites for public space, as well as the adaptive reuse of historic buildings by local organizations and businesses,” said Jackie Powers, executive director of Preservation Long Island.

Also being recognized this year are the nonprofit environmental group Safina Center for its restoration of the Hawkins-Elzon House in the Old Setauket Historic District and Suffolk County’s efforts for the preservation of Owl Hill in Fort Salonga.

At The Church, Gornik and Fischl partnered with architect Lee Skolnick to turn a 19th-century Methodist church into a dynamic public arts space and cultural hub. They maintained the building’s historical essence while introducing modern features like a glass elevator to meet modern needs.

As for Mattituck Creek Tide Mill, which was constructed around 1822 by Richard Cox, preservationists said the project that exemplifies the ingenuity of tide-powered milling has been carefully restored by Martignetti, who will open it as a restaurant in spring 2025.