WOOD ISLAND LIFE SAVING STATION ASSOCIATION

THE HISTORIC 1908 LIFESAVING STATION ON WOOD ISLAND IN KITTERY PT. MAINE BEGAN ITS RESTORATION IN 2016. THAT YEAR ENDED WITH THE BUILDING CLEAN, SAFE, AND STRUCTURALLY SOUND. THE RESTORATION OF THE BUILDING'S EXTERIOR WAS ACCOMPLISHED IN 2017. IN 2018 A MASSIVE NEW SEA WALL (NORTH SIDE) AND HISTORIC SHED WERE REBUILT USING LABOR DONATED BY THE MAINE ARMY NATIONAL GUARD. ALSO ELECTRICAL AND PLUMBING SYSTEMS BEGAN IN THE STATION. FOR 2019 THE OTHER SEA WALL (SOUTH SIDE) WAS RECONSTRUCTED BY THE NATIONAL GUARD AND ADDITIONAL UTILITY WORK WAS ACCOMPLISHED. ALSO, A 50 FOOT TALL "WRECK POLE" WAS INSTALLED FOR DISPLAYING FLAGS AND ALSO REENACTING DRILLS THAT THE LIFE SAVING PERSONNEL, THE SURFMEN, PRACTICED 100 YEARS AGO. IN 2020 THE STRUCTURE OF THE PIER AND MARINE RAILWAY WERE BUILT. FOR 2021, THE PIER / GANGWAY / MARINE RAILWAY WERE ALL COMPLETED AS WELL AS ADA RAMPING. IN 2022 THE INTERIOR WAS THE FOCUS OF THE RESTORATION WITH WALLS, WOODWORK, ELECTRICAL FIXTURES AND PLASTER BEING INSTALLED. THE HISTORIC RESCUE BOAT, THE MERVIN ROBERTS, COMPLETED ITS NEARLY TWO YEAR RESTORATION AND WAS LAUNCHED SUCCESSFULLY. MANY OF THE LAST DETAILS OF THE INTERIOR WERE THE FOCUS OF 2023. FINISHED FLOORING, STAIRS AND THE LAST OF THE PLASTER AND PAINT WORK WERE ALL INSTALLED. IN 2024 THE MARITIME MUSEUM AT WOOD ISLAND OPENED FOR THE PUBLIC IN AUGUST AFTER THE LAST OF THE PLUMBING AND INTERIOR CARPENTRY WORK WAS ACCOMPLISHED IN MAY, JUNE AND JULY. NEARLY 1,000 VISITORS ENJOYED VISITING THE ISLAND. 2025 WAS THE FIRST FULL YEAR (MEMORIAL DAY TO COLUMBUS DAY) OF OPERATIONS AND 2,000 VISITORS ENJOYED THE MUSEUM EXPERIENCE. FURNITURE AND FIXTURES WERE ADDED TO BRING THE RESTORATION PROJECT TO COMPLETION.