Photos courtesy Friend Memorial Library/Benjamin Mendlowitz
In Brooklin, Maine, affectionately known as the Wooden Boat Capital of the World, a remarkable opportunity is unfolding—one that invites boatbuilders, sailors, and preservationists everywhere to help safeguard the living traditions that shaped a coast, a culture, and a craft.
Brooklin holds a unique place in maritime history. It was here that Jon Wilson established WoodenBoat magazine, sparking a revival that carried wooden boatbuilding into a new era. Today, a new chapter is being written at Friend Memorial Public Library, where a bold effort is underway to preserve two extraordinary collections and make them available to the world.
In 2023, Wilson donated his personal trove of more than 6,700 rare and out-of-print nautical books and journals to the library—a collection built over five decades, unmatched in scope and depth. Soon after, celebrated maritime photographer and Brooklin resident Benjamin Mendlowitz added his own legacy: an archive of over 500,000 images capturing the artistry, spirit, and resilience of wooden boats around the globe.
To steward these treasures—and to welcome future additions—the library is building the Anne and Maynard Bray Maritime Research Center: an accessible, light-filled space designed to preserve, protect, and expand a living archive of maritime craftsmanship.
The Center is named in honor of Anne and Maynard Bray. Maynard, a leading historian of American shipbuilding and yachting, has authored landmark monographs and hundreds of articles chronicling the rich traditions of the craft. His late wife, Anne Bray, also brought considerable expertise to the field, serving long and ably as the librarian for Jon Wilson’s collection. Their contributions to preserving wooden boat knowledge are profound. Without Anne, Maynard, and a few other key figures from Brooklin, such as Joel White from Brooklin Boat Yard, the wooden boat revival that gained momentum more than 50 years ago might never have come to pass.
This effort is about more than a building. It is about ensuring that the knowledge, craftsmanship, and spirit of wooden boats remain alive, accessible, and inspiring to generations still to come. It’s about keeping the legacy of wooden boats vibrant and strong.
Already, the campaign has inspired remarkable generosity from those who understand what is at stake: not just the preservation of rare materials, but the stewardship of a living tradition that has shaped communities, industries, and imaginations for centuries.
You are invited to be part of this legacy and carry forward the knowledge and passion that continue to shape wooden boat culture around the world.
To make a gift or learn more about the Anne and Maynard Bray Maritime Research Center, visit campaign.friendml.org or contact Robert Baird, Campaign Chair, at campaign@friendml.org.
https://campaign.friendml.org/woodenboats
This page is sponsored by the Ocean Ledges Fund of the Maine Community Foundation with the goal of supporting education and conservation.
