House of the Month

87 87Lot Lot# #

The owners of barridoff The owners of barridoff Galleries have put their Galleries have put their Western Prom masterpiece Western Prom masterpiece on the block as they head for on the block as they head for loftier digs. loftier digs.

Eighty-seven Carroll Street has been home to Rob and Annette Elowitch “for 34 years,” says listing agent John Hatcher of The Hatcher Group. Now, with the Barridoff Galleries’ founders relocating to a loft downtown, their George Burnham-designed brick townhouse has become an exciting addition to the market, with a price tag of $1.25 million.

Particularly noteworthy are “the dramatic roof overhangs, almost pagodalike,” Hatcher says. Entering from the street, there’s a gracious center hallway with a large salon on the left and a dining room to the right featuring Verdure et Balustrade wallpaper murals by Zuber et Cie. “There was a fire here some time

ago,” Hatcher says, “and the insurance company paid to have all of this wallpaper redone, with the paper alone costing $6,600.

“Four or five years ago, Tommy Thomsen of Woodward Thomsen redid the kitchen,” which includes a Sub-Zero fridge and fourburner Viking stove. “He’s done all the renovations here over the past 20 years.”

The sunlit kitchen opens to one of the most delightful hidden gardens in Portland. This spring, look for a galaxy of incomparable tulips in the front gardens.

Upstairs and to the right of the hallway, the master bedroom (there are six bedrooms in all) features bold decorative painting by Ralph & Son, with a three-quarters (shower) bath including a washer/dryer en suite. To the left is a large bedroom now used as a den and media room. Toward the back, hooked around a corner beside a garden window, is a hidden closet filled with wrestling costumes on hangers, testimony to Rob Elowitch’s famous double life as professional wrestler Robbie Ellis [see our interview “Double Man,” September 1987]. Yes, at 66, he’s still putting opponents half his age on the ropes! This closet is the closest thing the Forest City has to Clark Kent’s telephone booth.

A back staircase jumps with photos of Robbie Ellis in action in newspaper and magazine clippings across the years.

The bathrooms upstairs are floored with cork, while a number of the closets boast cedar linings.

“Rob and Annette are looking to rent here in Portland and spend more time in Italy, where they’ve visited regularly for years,” Hatcher says.

Often, new owners believe they can oneup the previous inhabitants by putting up some dramatic artworks–say, over the five fireplaces here. Considering the gorgeous oil paintings that have graced these walls across the last three decades, good luck this time around.

Taxes are $13,185. n

>> Visit Online Extras at portlandmonthly.com for

more images.

Phoenix Studio

Restoration and Design of Fine Art Glass since 1976

• Design and production of art glass panels and lights for any application, we specialize in creating an aesthetic match to your space.

• Restoration, preservation, or repairs on any art glass items from stepping stones to ceiling domes

• Classes and workshops for you to learn and hone your own glass skills.

• Hundreds of glass types for cabinets, doors, and more.

• Over 100 years combined experience at your service.

Call or come in today to see what we can do for you!

www.phoenixstudio.com • 630 Forest Ave Portland, ME • 207.774.4154

172 Route One Falmouth, ME Mon-Sat 10-5 207.781.5651

Holidays, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays . . . or Christmas! We’re Southern Maine’s only Trollbeads gold dealer.

Maine's finest source for interior design, home furnishings, accessories & gifts.

www.simplyhomepage.com