Wood

Wood Island sits at the mouth of the Piscataqua River near the southwest shore of Fort Foster. Owned by the Town of Kittery, the island is home to the Wood Island Life Saving Station, a fixture in Portsmouth Harbor since 1908. The Station completed extensive restoration work in 2024 thanks to the extraordinary efforts of the nonprofit Wood Island Life Saving Station Association (WILSSA). Wood Island itself is open for respectful day use free of charge. There is a small fee to explore the museum. A northwest-facing gravel beach at the northeast point of the island provides a good place to land. A protected cove facing east is also good shallow water landing.

Wood Island Station is a rare, Duluth-type station that was once used by the U.S. Life Saving Service (a precursor to the U.S. Coast Guard) to assist mariners in distress. It is the only station in the country with a surviving marine launchway used to send eight oared “surfboats” out for rescues. A restored 1930s surfboat, the Mervin Roberts, is part of the museum. The U.S. Navy took control of the station during World War II to defend against potential Nazi attacks to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. The federal government decommissioned the station in 1948 and it was ultimately deeded to the Town of Kittery in 1973 with a provision that the island remain open for public enjoyment. Lacking the resources to adequately care for the island, the structures slowly fell into disrepair.

WILSSA formed in 2011 to restore the station and ensure its maintenance into the future. The new maritime museum is a gem worth a visit.

Visit [WILSSA](https://woodislandlifesaving.org/) to learn more about the project or to get involved.