The Friends of Peary's Eagle Island
Eagle Island belongs to all of us as a living memorial to Admiral Robert E. Peary, the first to lead a party of explorers to the North Pole. The Island was given to the citizens of Maine by the Peary family in trust for all Americans. The Maine Department of Conservation, Bureau of Parks & Lands acts as a trustee in partnership with the Friends of Peary's Eagle Island.
The Friends' goal is to help preserve and protect this national treasure. We believe that the Admiral and all his family would be pleased that each summer hundreds of visitors "from away" come to enjoy their treasured summer home. This Island home is a national symbol of Admiral Peary's persistence, endurance, and achievement in the face of overwhelming odds. His personal motto was --"Inveniam viam aut faciam" -- Find a way or make a way.
In past few years, the Friends have sponsored several numerous projects: the first was replacing the old outhouse with a modern, environmentally safe composting toilet; the second was providing a fire suppression/intrusion alarm system for the main house; and third was building a new Welcome Center based on Robert Peary Jr.'s original workshop. Money for these projects was raised from generous gifts of our members and from grants by charitable foundations as well as the State of Maine. Earlier the Bureau of Parks and Lands, supported by a grant from the National Geographic Society, restored the Admiral's unique library located in the west "bastion" structure. The Friends continue to partner with the State of Maine to maintain the museum and its surroundings to keep this piece of history alive and open to the public.
We have been most fortunate to have recruited volunteers to do ongoing studies of the birds on Eagle Island, the marine life in the surrounding waters, and the island ecology including restoration of Josephine Peary's lovely island garden.
The Friends was established in 1992 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, all volunteer organization. The group works closely with the Bureau of Parks and Lands to identify and support the efforts to maintain and preserve the main house, caretaker's cottage, as well as the entire 17-acre island.
For 2026, the Board of Directors of The Friends of Peary's Eagle Island consists of the following individuals:
Name
Title/Functions
Steve Ingram
Nick Knight
Beth O'Connell
Karen Dyer
Marnee Small
Kim Payne
Wayne Miller
Gaye Miller
Karon Salch
Claudette Brassil
Chairman
President
Treasurer
Secretary
Trading Post & Membership
Vice President, Head Gardener & Journal Editor
Head Docent
Docent Coordinator
At Large
At Large
Have a question for one of our board members?
Contact us at: friendsofpearyseagleisland@gmail.com
The Friends of Peary's Eagle Island maintains this website to provide visitors with all information about Eagle Island, Admiral Peary and his family, the exploration and discovery of The North Pole.