The price of the late Ruth Foster’s stately Ellsworth home, where the former city councilor and state legislator resided for roughly six decades, has been reduced by $350,000 — pricing the home at just under $900,000 after it was put on the market just over a year ago.
The home, which sits at 80 State St. in downtown Ellsworth, adjacent to the Hancock County Courthouse, was listed in July 2025, one month after Foster — who was known as the unofficial grand dame of civic life in Ellsworth — died at age 96.
Foster, a former Republican state senator who also served on the City Council as the first female mayor of Ellsworth, served on many local boards and owned her own businesses, including a children’s store on Main Street. She was known to host cocktail hours and other community gatherings at the 6,000-square-foot home.
The historic property, whose front side notably mimics a Victorian-style mansion, was first listed at $1.25 million. Its price has since been reduced twice: in March it dropped by $150,000 and in late May it settled at $899,999, the home’s current price, according to the home’s Sargent Real Estate listing.
The five-bedroom, two-kitchen home, which features first- and second-floor libraries and a butler’s pantry in the formal dining room, was first built around 1840 and later restored in 1962, according to the listing, which suggests the property could be renovated as an inn, restaurant or bed and breakfast, among other options.
“This elegant federal commands your attention as you pass to enter downtown Ellsworth,” the listing says. “During the 1962 restoration, the original features (including handcrafted woodwork, cornices, mantles and hardwood floors) were meticulously restored and the Ell was reimagined with thoughtful consideration for the main house.”
Foster and her husband, Charles “Pat” Foster, who ran a plumbing and heating business, were not the only prominent community members to live at 80 State St. In the 1800s, the house was occupied by Andrew Wiswell, who was the speaker of the Maine House and later chief justice of the state’s supreme court.
Teri Sargent Smith, the property’s listing agent, declined to comment when contacted by the Bangor Daily News on Tuesday morning.