Preservation Awards

The 9th annual award for Achievement in Historical Preservation was presented to Tamara and Bob Laurie for the preservation work on their 1807 Giles Blague house at 69 Cromwell Place, in the town’s historic North Cove District. They bought a true “fixer upper” and also part of the Saybrook legacy of the Blague family, something the Laurie’s respected and felt obliged to restore. But they also bought eight years of restoration travails worthy of a “This Old House” PBS TV series.

Their early preservation started with stabilizing the foundation in the old front of the house because it was sinking. They then proceeded with a slow and steady series of typical restorations like gutting three bathrooms, upgrading the kitchen, removing wallpaper, resurfacing floors, etc. Then a tree fell on the back portion of the house, requiring an entire teardown of the back of the house, including the centerpiece fireplace and chimney. A three-year reconstruction process began, ending just last year. They constantly struggled with the desire of architects and builders to modernize rather than “restore to old.” Their goal was to live in an old house, but with modern amenities. They finally accomplished exactly what they wanted.

In April of 2024, the Historical Society honored Stephen Tagliatela with their President’s Award for Historic Preservation. This was a special award recognizing Stephen Tagliatela for his many years of preserving, restoring and honoring the history of Old Saybrook and the heritage of Saybrook Point, a national treasure and foremost town destination.

Over the years Stephen’s efforts have included the restored Tall Tales House and the renovated Three Stories House with their dedications to numerous town notables. His generous sponsorship of books pertaining to the town’s heritage, the display of historical paintings and rare vintage photographs, all reflect his long-standing commitment to preserving and promoting Old Saybrook’s history. Stephen is the Innkeeper and co-owner of Saybrook Point Resort & Marina. The resort has been owned and operated by the Tagliatela family since 1980. His parents, Louis and Mary Tagliatela, bought the unoccupied and dilapidated Terra Mar Hotel and Yacht Basin in 1980 and replaced it with Saybrook Point Resort & Marina. The resort has also won numerous awards for its best-in-class green practices, including the first Connecticut resort to be named a Certified Energy Hotel.

Read Stephen’s  thank you letter

The award winning 1873 George W. Denison house in Old Saybrook

Alan and Sharon Cantor at the Old Saybrook Historical Society Annual Meeting

The 8th annual Old Saybrook Historical Society’s Achievement in Historical Preservation Award was presented at the Society’s Annual Meeting to Alan and Sharon Cantor. The annual award recognizes extraordinary individuals or groups who have contributed to the preservation of the rich history of Old Saybrook. This award was for their restoration work on the George Denison 1873 Victorian
home at 385 Main Street in Old Saybrook.

Semi-dilapidated when they purchased the home in late 2017, they began both exterior and interior renovations. The many outside restorations included the large eight-foot front windows, the front porch and steps, and the unique architectural bargeboard and gable brackets that support the three steep roof peaks. Inside efforts included exposing all the original Victorian fireplaces and restoring the main 14-step staircase with its stunning walnut banister that turns 90 degrees, leading to the second floor.

During the electrical renovations a concealed shoe was discovered inside the ceiling above the front door. It was a woman’s leather shoe, most likely belonging to a member of the 1870s Denison family. A shoe in the wall was an old English tradition to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck to the home owners. It seems to have worked for the Cantors.

Margaret “Bucky” Bock, Frank Sciame, Devin Carney, Wayne Harms 

The 7th annual Old Saybrook Historical Society’s Achievement in Historical
Preservation Award was presented to Frank Sciame for his restoration work on Old Saybrook’s historic Outer Light. Since 1993 its “sparkplug” design has
adorned the state’s Preserve The Sound license plates. Special guests attending the ceremony were 103-year old Margaret “Bucky” Bock, the daughter of an Old Saybrook light-keeper, Devin Carney, CT State Representative and Mathew Pugliese, an Old Saybrook selectman who spoke on the importance of the historic preservation. Wayne Harms, Historical Society Vice President, presented the award.

In 2004 many residents became aware of Mr. Sciame when he purchased the
Karharine Hepburn family home in Fenwick. Since then he has purchased
adjacent Fenwick properties, including the lighthouse. He bought the lighthouse in 2015 from the Coast Guard and has since spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to restore the weather-beaten structure, taking pains to make it look much as it did when it was built. The lighthouse was in severe disrepair when he bought it, with graffiti scrawled on the inside and major cracks in its exterior. He did a 3-D scan of the building to assess its condition and decided to maintain its 19 th century appearance. He stabilized and restored the structure, adding a generator, running water and two bathrooms. But he went to great lengths to maintain its original appearance.

Wayne Harms, Carl Fortuna, Jessica May

The sixth annual Old Saybrook Historical Society’s Achievement in Historical Preservation Award was presented to Jessica and Lincoln May for their restoration work on their Dudley Building on the corner of Main Street and Dudley Avenue.  The Mays own the Saybrook Hardware as well as the entire building, which houses three other Main Street businesses.

The annual award recognizes extraordinary individuals or groups who have contributed to the preservation of the rich history of Old Saybrook. In 1928, Albert L. Dudley, an influential developer and respected community leader, built the building and placed his name and date on the peak of the one-story building.  93 years later the Mays knew major structural work had to be done to maintain the building. They worked with Bruce Lawrence’s Bogaert Construction in Essex for the heavy work of replacing the I-beam supporting the front brick façade.  For the more aesthetic touches they worked with Chantal Lawrence’s Total Design Source in Old Saybrook, and the Town Zoning Commission.

The result is a charming restoration of a Main Street store front, true to its original design but softened with the new wood and metal canopies overhanging the sidewalk. Jessica said, “As the custodian of the building, I worked carefully to balance the aesthetics of the storefront. I’m happy everyone seems pleased with the result.”

The building has always had a hardware store, with various owners, including Jessica May’s parents. They purchased the store from George and Barbara Maynard in 1967 and it became a mother-daughter run business.  Jessica has now been in the Saybrook Hardware business for over 36 years. When the Mays eventually bought the entire building from the daughter of Albert Dudley, they became the second family in 93 years to own the building.

The Old Saybrook Historical Society is pleased to announce the 2020 “Award for Achievement in Historical Preservation” to the First Church of Christ in Saybrook.

Many projects, programs and actions that have and continue to make contributions to historic preservation in the Town of Old Saybrook were reviewed.  The First Church of Christ in Saybrook was selected for its longstanding leadership in historic preservation, stewardship of its facilities, items in its possession and South Green.  We specifically note the recent outside restoration/preservation painting program completed by the church.

2019 Award honored Keith & Jane Bolles Saybrook Home which includes the Ambrose Whittelsey House.

The year’s recipients are Jane and Keith Bolles, of Saybrook Home, for their preservation and protection of the Ambrose Whittlesey Home, (1765&1799) 14 Main Street. The house is a rare example of architectural and cultural value to Old Saybrook. Even more so, the adaptive reuse of the structure serves to anchor and influence redevelopment of land at the intersection of
Main Street,.The House is an integral thread to the historic fabric of Main Street. The thoughtful expansion of Saybrook Home over the years has
reflected and maintained the architectural integrity of this early home. We will present a plaque for the House representing this award at an early spring ceremony.

Keith Bolles, upon receiving this award, stated: “We are thrilled. Anytime we are recognized for our accomplishments and efforts is very rewarding for us. We have enjoyed running our business out of this historic home for 42 years. It fits well with what we are doing here and we are honored to be recognized for helping to preserve the history of Old Saybrook”