United States Coast Guard Station (Small) Menemsha is a United States Coast Guard station located in Menemsha, Massachusetts, within the town of Chilmark. The United States Life-Saving Service (a forerunner to the Coast Guard) established a station at Gay Head in 1895. In 1952, the Coast Guard station located at Cuttyhunk was moved by barge to Menemsha, replacing the Gay Head station. The station was not renamed Menemsha, however, until 1974. In July 2010, a fire destroyed the boat house as well as damaged other buildings and the dock at the station.