The Church in Sag Harbor, Hawkins-Elzon House in Setauket among historical sites to be recognized by Preservation Long Island

Four preservation groups that have restored — or, rehabilitated for reuse — a handful of historic sites in Suffolk County will be honored in January by Preservation Long Island, the regional nonprofit announced.

The awards ceremony will be held Jan. 25 in Cold Spring Harbor.

Among the groups honored with be the Safina Center for its restoration of the Hawkins-Elzon House in Old Setauket; artists April Gornik and Eric Fischl for their adaptive use of The Church public arts space in Sag Harbor; restaurateur, author and designer Anthony Martignetti for restoration of the Mattituck Creek Tide Mill; and Suffolk County for preservation of Owl Hill, a 1907 mansion on a 27-acre historic site in Fort Salonga.

The group also will posthumously honor a longtime board member and past-president of The Garden City Historical Society, Brian A. Pinnola, with its Howard C. Sherwood Award — recognizing his "extraordinary lifetime achievements in historic preservation."

Pinnola, 60, died Jan. 2. He was a member of the Preservation Long Island board.

"This year's awardees demonstrate not only excellence in historically sensitive design and rehabilitation," Preservation Long Island Executive director Jackie Powers said in a statement last week, "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."

Preservation Long Island is a not-for-profit regional advocate whose efforts and biennial Preservation Awards are possible, in part, with support from the New York State Council on the Arts.

Hawkins-Elzon House

The Hawkins-Elzon House, located within the Old Setauket Historic District, dates to the mid-17th century — the Hawkins family was one of Setauket's earliest settlers. A timber-framed pre-Revolutionary structure, the home was purchased by Preservation Long Island in the 1970s and was acquired by the nonprofit conservation and environmental advocacy organization, the Safina Center, with support from then-Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) in 2015.

Mattituck Creek Tide Mill

The mill, which Preservation Long Island said "exemplifies the ingenuity of tide-powered milling" that helped Long Island settlers grind grain for bread and livestock food, was constructed in 1822 and later, with its bar and dining room, became a community hub in the early 20th century.

The mill will reopen as a restaurant next spring, the building restored under the new ownership of Anthony Martignetti, a New York City restaurateur. As part of the restoration, the property was lifted 5 feet due to FEMA guidelines — and names on beams inside the mill date to 1872. Preservationists note they "read like a street map of Long Island from Tuthill to Wickham."

The Church in Sag Harbor

Originally a Methodist church, this 19th century landmark is what Preservation Long Island called "a remarkable example of adaptive reuse," transformed by artists April Gornik and Eric Fischl and architect Lee Skolnick into "a dynamic arts and cultural hub" while preserving the "historical essence" if the original site.

Reclaimed wood and original 300-year-old timber helped get the rehabilitation on track and work uncovered additional hidden details — such as a 19th century builders’ initials and a Masonic symbol.

Owl Hill

Built in 1907, Owl Hill mansion was designed by architect Henry K. Murphy, known for "his eclectic early designs" — and, later, for work in China, where he was in charge of designing the campus of the University of Shanghai — and, in 1928, was hired on the authority of leader Chiang Kai-shek to design a "modern capital" in Nanjing.

In 2021, it was determined Owl Hill was eligible for the National Register of Historic Places and through the efforts of historian Corey Geske, Suffolk Legis. Robert Trotta (R-Fort Salonga), community advocates, the Suffolk County Parks Department, Preservation Long Island and current Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine, the site has undergone a significant restoration.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”