2025 Northforker of the Year: Anthony Martignetti

Bringing Mattituck’s Old Mill Inn back to life wasn’t a task, it was a mission. 

Owner Anthony Martignetti may not have known the full scope of the project when he first laid eyes on the old grist mill, but he did understand that a deep commitment was in order. Old buildings require the fortitude, both financial and emotional, to weather the kind of surprises innate to historical structures, as making the old into the new (which still looks old) isn’t a mere magic trick of paint and new furniture; it’s fitting history into modern code stipulations — two puzzle pieces that don’t always fit together.  

Aesthetics are one thing — something he certainly took great care with at the Old Mill, folding in historical details with new features that feel like they’ve always been there and using materials that can stand up to maritime maladies. The true challenge was making it safe and structurally sound, as the building was certainly on its way to crumbling into Mattituck Creek. It took six years for Martignetti to restore the beloved old haunt — six years, 67 new pilings, an inordinate amount of wood and nails, a new roof, a five-foot boost to the building, countless Town Hall hours logged, all the while weathering a global pandemic and stepping into the wonderful personal milestones of marriage to his wife, Angela Ledgerwood, and a new baby. 

All of this was done under the gaze of his fellow Mattituckers, who likely wondered: Who is this city guy and what’s his end game?

The answer can be seen from both water and land. Samuel Cox’s 1820 grist mill fully restored and open for business with the seal of approval from both FEMA and the 2024 Award for Excellence in Historical Preservation from the not-for-profit organization Preservation Long Island. 

“As much as I’m quite proud of the personal perseverance it’s taken to see the project through, I’m most proud of being able to steward a landmark building that has meant so much, to so many, for so long back to life for another generation of North Forkers to enjoy,” Martignetti told us last spring when he was poised to reopen the Old Mill’s doors. 

For that steadfast fortitude, diligence and care, Anthony Martignetti is our Northforker of the Year.