Photo / Courtesy Trio
Leslie Harlow opened a gift shop called Trio, featuring Maine-made goods, at 142 Main St. in Ellsworth.
Updated: July 15, 2024
A pub and a gift shop open in prominent downtown Ellsworth building
Photo / Courtesy Trio
Original tin ceilings and a vintage bar are part of the vibe at Black Moon Public House.
A prominent downtown Ellsworth building, once known as the Tracy Building but now called Newberry Exchange, has attracted a retailer and a pub that recently held a joint grand opening with other tenants there.
Black Moon Public House and Trio leased space at 142 Main St., a single-story brick building near city cornerstones such as the Grand Theater and the Ellsworth City Hall, themselves prominent structures built in the 1930s and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Art Deco origin
According to the Ellsworth Historical Society, the Tracy Building was one of a group of brick art deco buildings that went up on Main Street after the 1933 fire.
Elizabeth Tracy and her brother Curtis built it on the site of their former restaurant.
Curtis Tracy negotiated with J.J. Newberry Co., a variety store chain founded in the early 20th century, and with A&P Tea Co. to provide store space for the two businesses while retaining part of the building for their restaurant.
In 1939, J.J. Newberry Co. obtained the A&P space and the building was expanded 20 feet in the back.
Tracy’s Restaurant closed in 1959.
J.J. Newberry Co. then took occupancy of the entire building until the firm began closing its locations in 1997.
The building was subsequently occupied by a home goods store called J&B Atlantic, which closed about a decade ago.
Other small businesses have circulated through the building since then. More recent arrivals include 2nd To None Thrift and Gift and Flexit Cafe & Bakery, which took a portion of the space when it moved from a nearby building at 192 Main St. locally known as the “Maine Grind” because a popular coffeehouse by that name was once located there.
Home goods shop
In May, a home goods store called Trio opened at 142 Main St.
Trio is owned by Leslie Harlow — who owned the Maine Grind coffee shop and co-owned the Maine Grind building until it sold a couple of years ago.
A entrepreneur, Harlow also owns Ironbound Restaurant in Hancock; previous holdings included a smoke house in Hancock and a restaurant in Bar Harbor.
At Trio, she offers Maine-made home goods, books and handcrafted jewelry.
Trio had existed in another iteration with a couple of business partners, in a storefront across from 142 Main St., said Harlow. Her partners eventually move on to other activities, she said. But an opportunity came along to lease space at 142 Main St. with another entrepreneur, Katina Stanwood, who wanted to open Black Moon Public House.
“She opened Black Moon Public House and I have Trio,” said Harlow. “And we have a tenant called Vinyl Vogue.”
Photo / Courtesy Trio
Vinyl Vogue Music & Records capitalizes on whole new generation discovering vinyl.
At Vinyl Vogue Music & Records, owner Matt Manry offers new and used records, receivers, turntables, accessories, wall art and clothes, according to its website, which says the store “is committed to donating 10% of its profits to support local school music programs.”
The store capitalizes on whole new generation discovering vinyl, with the industry’s U.S. album sales for 2023 totaling 49.6 million records, up 14.2% from 2022.
Other tenants in the building are Flexit and a thrift store, 2nd To None Thrift and Gift.
Public house
Prior to Black Moon. Stanwood said she worked in a variety of hospitality settings and served in managerial positions in large retail stores before deciding last year to open a pub.
Last summer, she said, a friend spotted a bar counter that was for sale in Owls Head. Dating back to the 1890s, it was “in very rough shape, and in about 40 pieces” but “nonetheless impressive.”
Photo / Courtesy Black Moon Public House
Black Moon Public House Katina Stanwood worked in hospitality and retail stores before deciding last year to open a pub.
She bought the bar, rented a 26-foot box truck, drove the sections and slabs to Ellsworth, and loaded it into the basement of 142 Main St.
The bar was installed in January and, as winter continued, the ceiling, walls and floor were repaired and restored.
Stanwood credited a local carpenter, Kyle Duckworth, for the work.
Photo / Courtesy Black Moon Public House
The plan for the pub includes hosting events.
The pub includes “signature cocktails,” Maine brews and a bar food menu; the plan is to offer a variety of events, she said.
Open floor plan
Harlow said Trio and Black Moon together occupy about 4,000 square feet, in the main part of the building, which features an original tin ceiling and wood floors.
There’s an open floor plan, but different entrances define which business a customer walks into. Black Moon occupies about two-thirds of the space and Trio a third, and each has its own door, although customers can flow between businesses.
Harlow brought in her own fixtures to outfit the Trio space.
Most customers at the moment are tourists and summer residents. Part of the project is to meet the needs of year-round residents.
“We’re getting off to a good start,” she said. “We’re busy.”
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments