Martin County names Sadia Saftiridis 2025 Preservationist of the Year; Golden Gate restoration, digitization and House of Refuge renovation highlighted

Martin County honored Sadia Saftiridis as its 2025 Preservationist of the Year at a ceremony hosted by the Historic Preservation Board and the Historical Society of Martin County in May. The event included remarks on the Golden Gate Building’s restoration, a digitization initiative for local archives and a planned $1,700,000 renovation of the House of Refuge Museum.

The award was introduced by Evan Anderson, chair of the Martin County Historic Preservation Board, who described the board as a volunteer group appointed by the county commission to “encourage people to save the past so the future can enjoy it.” Commissioner Ed Campy and other speakers praised Saftiridis for decades of neighborhood advocacy and hands-on work to preserve local landmarks.

Julie Priest, who said she prepared the research and the application for the Golden Gate Building’s historic listings, outlined the building’s preservation timeline: county purchase in the early 2000s (purchase price in the transcript was rendered as "$120,000 $500" and is not specified), county stabilization work in 2004–05, listing on the Martin County Historic Register on Feb. 16, 2006, addition to the National Register of Historic Places in 2017, and placement of a Florida historical marker in 2018. Priest credited community fundraising and repeated advocacy—led in large part by Saftiridis and the Friends of the Historic Golden Gate Community—with keeping the project alive through funding gaps.

Rob Steele, president and CEO of the Historical Society of Martin County, announced an upcoming closure of the House of Refuge for renovation: “It’s, it’s a $1,700,000 renovation of the House of Refuge,” he said, and said the work will take about five to six months with a target to reopen in 2026. Steele introduced staff who will lead work at the museums, including Jess Robinson (creative and collections director) and Catherine Larson (keeper of the house at the House of Refuge). Steele also described a county-supported digitization effort for local collections and said a large meeting on that project is scheduled for June 6; he said the digitization work was supported in part by federal grants.

Speakers said the House of Hope managed interior finishing work that helped the Golden Gate Building qualify for national recognition. A representative of House of Hope said the building now hosts free programs and services; the transcript states House of Hope will serve “over 900 people” and deliver “close to 6,000 services” from that building in the year cited by the speaker.

Saftiridis accepted the award and emphasized community collaboration: “This award is not just a recognition of my efforts. It's a tribute to the community,” she said. In her remarks she called for continued support for digitization of county history so younger generations can access archival material.

The ceremony included acknowledgments of partners and supporters—faith leaders, the consulate of Morocco in Miami, long-time neighborhood volunteers and county staff—who were credited with fundraising, volunteer labor and technical help over decades of preservation work.

The evening’s remarks traced a multi-decade preservation effort that moved the Golden Gate Building from an at-risk, vacant structure to a stabilized, reused community facility and a nationally recognized historic place. Presenters credited a mix of county funding, grant support, nonprofit stewardship and private donors for completing different stages of the work.

Speakers flagged two near-term items for follow-up: the county-funded House of Refuge renovation (five to six months’ closure, target reopening in 2026) and the digitization meeting on June 6 to coordinate grant-backed scanning and online access for local archives. No formal county vote or ordinance was announced at the ceremony; the presentations and the award were celebratory and informational in nature.