Endangered Stations

Learn about our stations that are in need of saving.

Inventory of Endangered Stations

The Endangered Stations List was created and is maintained by the USLSSHA to keep you informed of stations in danger of destruction. This can range from a station about to be torn down to public policy that may lead to a station's demise ten years in the future. By "stations," we mean Houses of Refuge, U.S. Life-Saving Stations, and Coast Guard sites on our seaboards and Great Lakes. Many of these sites and structures face neglect or loss by demolition due to their locations where property values have significantly escalated. And in many instances publication of threatened stations has lead directly or indirectly to the start of a number of preservation campaigns. The list is our tool for focusing public attention on threatened structures, and we hope it will encourage you to help save one of these.

The USLSSHA can support and offer our experience, guidance and resources from the many members of our organization. The Endangered Stations List is updated monthly if an immediate threat is reported or quarterly for regular updates for non-urgent matters. The list may not include all endangered or threatened sites, but our hope is to add new sites as information is provided to us. We encourage you to contact us through this website to report a station not listed here that is facing demolition or is currently in a deteriorated condition. Please keep us informed of any news, including any print, audio, public meetings, or other updates regarding stations in need of help. We will insure that they are posted to this website.  The assessments are based on the information provided by local residents and preservation groups involved with these sites.

Station NameCityStateCondition DescriptionCondition
Amagansett Life-Saving Station (1902)AmagansettNYRestoration completeSaved
Ocean City Life-Saving Station (1891)Ocean CityNJRestoration completeSaved
Tawas Life-Saving Station (1876)East TawasMISaved in 2007Saved
Long Branch Life-Saving Station (1878 and 1904 Stations)Long BranchNJBuildings moved to private estateSaved
Whitefish Point Boathouse (1923)ParadiseMIRestoration completeSaved
Portsmouth Harbor (Wood Island) Life-Saving Station (1908)KitteryMERestoration well underwaySaved
Tiana Life-Saving Station (1912)East QuogueNYRestoration continuesSaved
Cleveland Lifeboat Station (1940)ClevelandOHExterior and grounds restoration complete.Saved
Spermaceti Cove Life-Saving Station (1894 Station Only)HighlandsNJRestoration completeSaved
Little Kinnakeet Life-Saving Station (1904 Station Only)AvonNCDormant, no recent restorationThreatened
Oregon Inlet Life-Saving Station (1898)RodantheNCDormant, exterior fully restoredThreatened
Plum Island Life-Saving Station (1896)WashingtonWIRestoration continuesThreatened
Portage Life-Saving Station (1902 and 1935 Stations) HoughtonMIDormant, no restoration plans.Threatened
Vermillion Life-Saving Station (1876)VermillionMI Preservation work underwayThreatened
Cahoons Hollow Life-Saving Station (1894)WellfleetMA Threatened by beach erosionEndangered
Cape Lookout Life-Saving Station (1887 Station Only)Core BanksNCDetailed building assessment underwayEndangered
Sandy Hook Lifeboat Station (1936)HighlandsNJDormant, no restoration plans
Imminent Danger
Tillamook Bay Life-Saving Station (1907 Station Only)BarviewORDormant, no restoration plansImminent Danger
Wallops Beach Life-Saving Station (1933)Wallops BeachVAAwaiting funding for demolitionImminent Danger
Galloo Island Lifeboat Station (1937)HounsfieldNYDoomed. Destruction probableImminent Danger
Bolinas Bay Lifeboat Station (1917)Bolinas CADemolished by College of MarinDestroyed
Cobb Island (1880)Cobb IslandVAStation near collapse, only roof leftDestroyed
Cross Island (1874)Cross IslandMEStation collapsed and in ruinsDestroyed
Long Branch Boathouse (1897)Long BranchNJDestroyed by Hurricane Sandy in 2012Destroyed
Milwaukee Lifeboat Station (1916)MilwaukeeWIDestroyed by demolition in 2008Destroyed
Fairport Lifeboat Station (1921)PainesvilleOHDemolished by Coast Guard in 2013Destroyed
Fairport Boathouse (1930s)PainesvilleOHDemolished by Coast Guard in 2014Destroyed

Arean Cove LSS 1
Arean Cove LSS 2

Donate

We are in in need of  donations  to help accomplish our goals and missions and they are greatly appreciated. We have a number of projects the organization is working on which you can read about on our site and in our publications. Donations also help provide small grants to help these stations in research and or preservation.

We have an  annual meeting  where we travel to various locations throughout the U.S. to visit these stations, keep up to date on various preservation projects, fund raising efforts and learn about the past heroic efforts of the lifesavers as well as today’s modern U.S. Coast Guard efforts of saving lives. It is truly a unique gathering for anyone interested in learning about early life saving efforts.

Photo Left and Above:  Barview, Oregon c.1920. The Oregon Coast Highway (Hwy 101) came through the area in 1936; however, the highway went over an existing road behind and above the station. The road’s right-of-way and stone retaining wall filled in the back area of the station grounds up to to the back door of the station’s shop.  (Author’s Collection.)