A former Masonic Lodge building in downtown Ellsworth is being converted into a dentist’s office, according to city records.
Most recently, 192 Main St. has served as the headquarters for health products supplement company Desert Harvest, and prior to that housed cafes and small retail shops.
Last week, the city approved a building permit to convert part of the 11,000-square-foot building into a dental office, according to city records. Kevin Wright, a dentist who currently owns and operates Downeast Dental in Ellsworth on Oak Street, is listed on the city building permit as the new owner of the property.
Wright did not return a message left at his office Monday afternoon.
The city’s updated property records list the new owner of the building as Hampden-based 18 High St. LLC, which shares an address in that town with Wright. The firm purchased the building on Nov. 21 for $969,000, according to a real estate transfer tax declaration form filed with the state.
“The new owner is altering the first floor to accommodate his dental practice,” Robert Grant, the city’s code enforcement officer, said Monday. Grant added that the renovations are not expected to include the building’s second floor, which for a time housed a handful of professional offices that were rented out.
The three-story brick structure was first built in 1934 and served as the local Masonic Lodge for more than 70 years. It had been listed on the market last year by its prior owner for $1.2 million. Prior to renovations beginning last week, the building had sat vacant after Desert Harvest moved to Colorado Springs in November 2024.
The building was a hub of retail activity in the late 2010s, when it was home to a cafe and other specialty shops that drew people and helped revitalize the downtown after Main Street saw several longtime businesses close. In the years immediately before and since the COVID pandemic, empty spaces downtown have been scarce.
When Desert Harvest bought 192 Main St., the building housed Flexit Cafe, Maine-focused home goods shop 207Mainer and several professional offices on the second floor. The cafe and the Maine goods shop have since relocated a few doors farther down Main Street.