Thank You 2019 Annual Benefit Underwriters!

Preservation Long Island would like to thank the Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze Underwriters of our 2019 Country House Gathering for their generous support of our June 28th annual benefit. As we celebrate our seventy-first year, our donors and members help us to continue the legacy of our founder, Howard Sherwood, and our earliest members to work with Long Islanders to protect, preserve and celebrate our cultural heritage.

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🌟 Preservation Award Spotlight: The Church, Sag Harbor 🌟

Preservation Long Island is proud to celebrate The Church in Sag Harbor, an extraordinary example of adaptive reuse that breathes new life into a historic 19th-century Methodist church.

History
• 1835: Built in the Greek Revival style on High Street, Sag Harbor.
• 1864: Relocated to its current site and updated with Italianate features, including a campanile.
• 1938: The original campanile, featuring a rare bell cast by Veazey & White Bell Foundry, was lost during the Long Island Express hurricane.
• 2007–2017: In 2007 Methodist Church closed and church was de-sanctified. Passed through several owners with redevelopment plans ranging from condominiums to a private residence.
• 2017: Artists April Gornik and Eric Fischl acquired the building, preserving its beauty and opening as a new art exhibition and community space.

Under the design leadership of architect Lee Skolnick, the renovation respected the building’s history while making it a fully functional, modern space. “Every day brings new appreciation for the proportions of the individual spatial volumes. They are awe-inspiring, yet somehow warm and intimate, this primarily owing to the richness of the materials that are the authentic fabric of the historic structure,” Skolnick shared. “What they say about having ‘good bones’ is certainly at work here, and we are the grateful inheritors of the character that the original elements of the building impart. Our job is to exercise the lightest touch possible to reap the benefits that history offers while creating a thoroughly modern and fully functional place to enjoy, appreciate, and foster creative work and expression.” The outdoor garden space and amphitheater were designed by renowned landscape architect, Ed Hollander.

Today, The Church is a dynamic arts and cultural center, inspiring creativity and preserving Sag Harbor’s rich history.

🏆 Join us in celebrating The Church at our 2025 Preservation Awards on January 25th!

🌟 Preservation Award Spotlight: The Church, Sag Harbor 🌟

Preservation Long Island is proud to celebrate The Church in Sag Harbor, an extraordinary example of adaptive reuse that breathes new life into a historic 19th-century Methodist church.

History
• 1835: Built in the Greek Revival style on High Street, Sag Harbor.
• 1864: Relocated to its current site and updated with Italianate features, including a campanile.
• 1938: The original campanile, featuring a rare bell cast by Veazey & White Bell Foundry, was lost during the "Long Island Express" hurricane.
• 2007–2017: In 2007 Methodist Church closed and church was de-sanctified. Passed through several owners with redevelopment plans ranging from condominiums to a private residence.
• 2017: Artists April Gornik and Eric Fischl acquired the building, preserving its beauty and opening as a new art exhibition and community space.

Under the design leadership of architect Lee Skolnick, the renovation respected the building’s history while making it a fully functional, modern space. “Every day brings new appreciation for the proportions of the individual spatial volumes. They are awe-inspiring, yet somehow warm and intimate, this primarily owing to the richness of the materials that are the authentic fabric of the historic structure,” Skolnick shared. “What they say about having ‘good bones’ is certainly at work here, and we are the grateful inheritors of the character that the original elements of the building impart. Our job is to exercise the lightest touch possible to reap the benefits that history offers while creating a thoroughly modern and fully functional place to enjoy, appreciate, and foster creative work and expression.” The outdoor garden space and amphitheater were designed by renowned landscape architect, Ed Hollander.

Today, The Church is a dynamic arts and cultural center, inspiring creativity and preserving Sag Harbor’s rich history.

🏆 Join us in celebrating The Church at our 2025 Preservation Awards on January 25th! ... See MoreSee Less

19 hours ago

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Yes. Join us for drinks and good food to salute the award winners and to welcome them to our lovely old church, which was restored by Preservation Long Island to function as our assembly and exhibition space, let alone Preservation Long Island’s headquarters. It’s an opportunity to meet some stellar people behind the awards: the artists April Gornik and Eric Fischel, well known landscape designer Ed Hollander and the architect Lee Scolnik, who did a superb adaptive reuse allowing the church to function as an exhibition and events space open to all.

Alberta Deacon and C Otis Sweezey

🌟 Howard C. Sherwood Award Winner: Brian Pinnola 🌟

Preservation Long Island is honored to (posthumously) present Brian Pinnola with the prestigious Howard C. Sherwood Award, recognizing his exceptional lifetime achievements in historic preservation. This rare and distinguished honor, first established in 1974, celebrates individuals whose dedication and passion have had a transformative impact on preserving Long Island’s heritage.

Brian’s tireless work as a longtime member of the Garden City Historical Society exemplifies the spirit of this award. He was a leading voice in the efforts to preserve the historic St. Paul’s School, a stunning architectural treasure and vital piece of Garden City’s cultural fabric. Through advocacy, restoration projects, and mentorship, Brian made an indelible mark on the preservation community. Sadly, Brian passed away in 2023.

The award’s namesake, Howard C. Sherwood, was a wealthy urban antiquarian whose vision led to the founding of the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities (now Preservation Long Island) in 1948. Sherwood, concerned with post-World War II development, sought to protect Long Island’s preindustrial past. His legacy includes the gift of his collection of American antiques and the Sherwood-Jayne Farm, his 18th-century country retreat in East Setauket.

Brian Pinnola now joins the ranks of past recipients like one of Long Island’s first preservation advocates, Barbara Van Liew (1911-2005), Natalie Naylor (Hofstra University professor and Director of the Long Island Studies Institute), and Historic preservation professional, consultant Zachary Studenroth, whose extraordinary contributions continue to inspire preservation efforts across Long Island.

🏆 Join us in celebrating Brian and all our award recipients at the 2025 Preservation Awards! Learn more about the other awardees and buy tickets here: ... See MoreSee Less

5 days ago

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It’s a shame that Brian didn’t get this recognition while he was around. He was a grey guy and well loved and respected. Thankfully, he will not be forgotten. Thank you

Thank You 2019 Annual Benefit Underwriters!

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