Politics & Government

Southold Preservation Group Honors Brecknock Hall, Cohen House

Southold Town Landmark Preservation Committee gives nod to restored Greenport and Orient homes.

By 1992, Greenport’s beautiful Brecknock Hall, an Italianate stone mansion built in 1857 as a residence for the family of David Gelston Floyd, had fallen into such disrepair that it came close to being torn down.

But due to a rallying of community members beginning in the early ‘90s to save the home, Brecknock Hall’s restoration was complete by 2008 and has been thriving since as a gathering place and a unique venue for parties and theatrical productions.

Landmark Preservation Committee Chairman James Grathwohl recognized the efforts of Alice Hussie, a North Fork resident who leads the Brecknock Hall Foundation board of directors, with a proclamation at a Town Hall meeting Tuesday night.

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“You’ve made the building handicapped accessible and have kept the authenticity of the original design in the restoration,” he said.

Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell also commended the efforts of Hussie and volunteers, saying that Brecknock is now “visually stunning inside and out.”

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“Brecknock has been here since 1857, shortly after the railroad came in 1844,” Hussie said. “Before the association took over, the place was full of squirrels and other wildlife running around. But through hours of volunteering, we got the work done.”

At the meeting, Grathwohl also recognized the efforts of carpenter Bob Sorenson for the restoration of the Cohen House on Orchard Street in Orient, owned originally by Samuel Watson Young in the early 1800s. Sorenson started work on the home in 2007.

“With his skill and knowledge, Sorenson added a new study and a screened porch while maintaining the authenticity of the house,” Grathwohl said.

The Landmark Preservation Committee helps those with historic houses and landmarks protect these properties by listing them on a roster.

“We’re here to help the town maintain the well-know historic ambiance that brings so many people here,” Grathwohl said.


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