After nearly three years of negotiations, the historic Sacred Heart Catholic Church property in Cutchogue has officially been sold to Peconic Community School for $2.85 million. The 10.2-acre site, long considered a cornerstone of the hamlet’s religious and cultural life, will now serve as the permanent campus for the nonprofit school.
Peconic Community School began leasing the property at 27905 Main Road in January 2024, utilizing several of the existing buildings for educational programming and extracurricular activities, while fundraising toward the purchase. The sale was finalized on December 16, 2025, with Patricia Nicklaus of Howard Hanna Coach Realtors representing the seller, the Roman Catholic Church of Sacred Heart.
“It took a while, but for all parties it was smiling faces at the (signing) table,” Nicklaus tells Behind The Hedges.
Founded in 1901, Sacred Heart Catholic Church has served generations of North Fork residents as a place of worship, education and community gathering. Built by Irish immigrants in the mid 1800s, the workmanship and quality of these historic buildings are an anomaly in today’s modern society. Through this sale, these cherished sites will remain intact and preserved.
Over the decades, the campus expanded to include multiple buildings, resulting in a main church, a school building, a rectory and a carriage house, all set amid preserved wooded land. For many years, the site was also home to Our Lady of Mercy Academy, a private Catholic school that educated girls, kindergarten through sixth grade. The academy permanently closed in 2024, a loss that was deeply felt in the community.
With the transition to new ownership, Peconic Community School has emphasized its commitment to preserving the site’s historic character while adapting the space for modern, educational use. Rather than redeveloping the land or demolishing these historic existing structures, the school plans to maintain the architectural integrity of the buildings.
In repurposing these spaces, the craftsmanship of these Irish immigrants will stand to live another life.
Peconic Community School has served children from early childhood through middle school for decades, steadily growing enrollment in recent years. The acquisition of the Sacred Heart property provides long-term stability for the school’s students, families and staff, while allowing for expanded programming that wasn’t possible prior. The purchase symbolizes a critical step in securing a permanent home for hands-on learning, creative exploration and after-school activities.
Plans for the future of the campus are currently underway, as the school intends to utilize the former carriage house as an art studio and maker space, host performing arts gatherings in the auditorium and continue to maintain the public walking trails throughout the preserved grounds. Outdoor classrooms and natural learning areas are also expected to play a key role in the school’s curriculum, reinforcing its emphasis on experimental education.
While classic historic properties are often left vacant or lost to redevelopment, this transaction stands out as a model for adaptive reuse rooted in community values. By placing the Sacred Heart campus in the hands of a nonprofit educational institution, this property will continue to serve as a center for learning, creativity and connection, shaping future generations while honoring its past.
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