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AMP Architecture is a small Mattituck firm owned by three Mattituck High School alumni, Anthony Portillo, Brooke Epperson and Kyle Edstrom.

The firm does business across Long Island and in the city, but home is where the partners’ hearts are. Growing up on the North Fork, and still living out here today, they share an admiration for many of the old and new buildings in the area. 

We asked them to pick five North Fork structures with inspiring and eye-catching design.

Here are their choices.

Our Lady of Good Counsel R.C. Church, Mattituck

The standout features of this Tudor-style church, which was built in the 1930s, include its arched stained glass windows and brick patterns.

“Growing up in Mattituck, I went to this church and these are some of the features that I really enjoyed then and still do today,” Portillo said.

He singled out the side entrance to the church, which has an archway and large gable slope.

“This can be seen in a lot of pieces of architecture,” he said. “It creates a significant entry.”

Portillo also pointed out that the windows are symmetrical with a gothic feel, allowing a lot of light to enter. The columns budding from the sides of the church help support its cathedral ceiling, he said.

Bayview Farm Market, Aquebogue

Portillo passes dozens of farm stands as he drives up and down Main Road, but said this one is a standout. For him, the beadboard siding, large overhangs and timber columns capture the essence of the North Fork.

Another element of the farm stand that evokes a sense of place is the cupola, which is topped with a rooster-and-compass weathervane.

“That’s something you notice in a lot of different North Fork architecture design,” he said.

Browder’s Birds Farmhouse, Mattituck

The house that sits on the Browder’s Birds property, where owners Holly and Chris Browder live, is a gorgeous example of a New England-meets-North Fork farmhouse. Epperson said, for her, it presents many inspiring features.

“This is a New England farmhouse and I picked this because I find it inspiring that the old colonial styles have come into existence as something new and modern that people can incorporate into their farmhouses,” she said. In typical colonial designs, Epperson said, the interior will feature two to three stories, a fireplace, large kitchens and wood and brick shingling and veneers. What makes this house unique, however, is its Victorian-style trim work.

She also pointed out that the wraparound porch adds to the structure visually, but is functional as well. It’s an ideal place to hang a hammock, she added, though the Browders have decorated the space with a hanging swing and plants.

Magic Fountain Ice Cream Shop, Mattituck

“I picked this as an inspirational building because there is ice cream inside,” Epperson joked.

Growing up in Mattituck — and living there still — she said she passes the popular spot — which was a Dairy Queen in the 1970s — multiple times a day.

“It is now a landmark on the North Fork. You can’t come here without seeing it, let alone stopping and getting some delicious ice cream,” she said, adding that she likes the little shop’s look because it reminds her of a repurposed barn.

“It’s an old style coming into play, but adding modern qualities to it,” she said. “That’s very popular right now.”

The Old House, Cutchogue

North Fork residents love their history and one spot where they can admire the area’s rich past is at the Village Green in Cutchogue. There, the Old House, built in the late 1600s, is registered as a National Historic Landmark.

“[The house has] an older, traditional style that reflects the culture and the history here,” said Edstrom, adding the structure has a “Shaker style” to it.

He pointed out the large, brick chimney that sticks out high from the top of the roof.

“You can see the balance with the chimney that shows the function they were going for,” he said.

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