Red Moose Motel is Patten’s one-room jewel

Houlton Pioneer Times photo/Elna Seabrooks
GIFTS GALORE — At the Red Moose Gift Shop, owner Rhonda Brophy, seen at the cash register, says she has an array of locally made gifts travelers can take home from Patten after staying at the Red Moose Motel. She also carries a line of unique giftware and antiques.
Local businesswoman transforms building for multiple uses
By Elna Seabrooks
Staff Writer
    PATTEN — Rhonda Brophy is something of a one-woman conglomerate. As owner/operator of the mall-like strip of businesses that includes a gift shop, a Laundromat, a one-bedroom apartment, an adjacent building that is sublet for a retail clothing store, she is also the owner of a motel — all in downtown Patten on Main St.
    Here’s the kicker. The Red Moose Motel consists of just one room. And, it’s relatively new.
    In operation for less than a year, Brophy has been renting out the spacious room with its two queen-size beds to various people going through town or staying for a few days. In fact, right now, she said a young woman is staying at the motel while doing an internship with a doctor in town for about two weeks.
    “I’ve had family members who needed a place to stay, people on a job, salesmen and people from downstate going to set up their camps,” said Brophy who added that she gives out her business cards and tells people to let her know if they need a place to stay.
Houlton Pioneer Times photo/Elna Seabrooks
LITTLE MOTEL AROUND THE CORNER — The gift shop at 14 Main St., Patten, winds around the corner to reveal a coin-operated laundry with an apartment upstairs and a comfortable single unit motel at the end of property on the street level with ample parking.
    With good word-of-mouth, the rentals, she said, run $79 for two people. “Seeing that it’s very new I have a set rate which is average and in line with other places.”
Vision became reality
    She said the proximity to all the businesses in town makes the Red Moose Motel a convenient location for visitors. The Ellis Family Market is across the street, there is a drugstore just steps away with restaurants and churches nearby. “And, they can go shopping at the Red Moose Gift Shop for any local type items,” said the businesswoman.
    Brophy said when she bought the property, it was vacant but “the price was a little steep.” After a price reduction, she sealed the deal and put in the gift shop, an upstairs apartment and the laundry.
    At first the motel space was a rented out to a retailer. “She rented it for about six months and moved on,” said Brophy who explained that salesmen or tourists might need a place to stay in the heart of town. “It’s very close to the grocery store, restaurants, the ATM and what travelers may need.
    Since the basic structure and plumbing were already there, local tradesmen made the necessary alterations Brophy said she wanted. She knew how to make a go of the operation since as she put it: “It’s in my history. I ran sporting camps in which we catered to fishermen and hunters and things like that. So, I knew the need for overnight accommodations and how to set it up and what was needed.”
Small, comfortable, convenient
    “The décor is very country casual with northern Maine flavor and an Americana theme,” as Brophy described the immaculately clean and tastefully appointed room. There are two rockers, cable TV, a kitchenette with a table and four chairs, a microwave and coffeemaker. There are also two sinks. One is just off the kitchenette with a mirror and lights. The bathroom has its own well lighted sink and mirror with a silky peach colored shower curtain for the tub and plenty of towels.
Houlton Pioneer Times photo/Elna Seabrooks
TWIN SINKS — A sink is off the kitchenette with another in the full bathroom. Owner Rhonda Brophy says someone can put on makeup or fix a snack if someone else is using the bathroom sink.
    Guests at the motel may want to do some personal laundry and they wont have to do it by hand in the sink. They can simply go next door to her laundromat. “There are five washers and six dryers. I have one of the largest washers north of Bangor. It’s capable of doing an oversized load — 60 pounds,” she said.
    When the Ellis Family Market expanded into the space that had the only laundry in town, she said the owners asked her if she would be willing to install a laundromat since they didn’t want to leave the town without that type of facility. And, apparently it worked out well. Last Saturday Carl Hunt of Stacyville was in there doing his laundry. “It’s beautiful, really,” he said. “I do all my laundry here. It’s the best around.”
    Brophy says in the future she may be adding a few more units to the one-room motel. An apartment  building that had been next door burned down a couple of years ago and that space is conveniently being used as a parking lot. The property owner who lives downstate has not, according to Brophy, revealed any plans yet on whether or not he will rebuild.
Houlton Pioneer Times photo/Elna Seabrooks
ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK — Motel owner Rhonda Brophy sits comfortably in one of two rocking chairs inside the spacious two-bedroom motel room. There is a kitchenette with table and chairs, microwave, cable TV and activity books for children.
    Brophy, originally from the Mars Hill and northern Maine areas said for now “with only one place, it’s easy to say ‘Oh, I have no vacancies today,’ and that’s going to make me sound like I have a lot of rooms,” she said laughing. For more information or reservations call: 528-2059 or 528-7555. The email address is:  rbrophy@fairpoint.net. �