Patten rebuilds after fire

By Karen Donato
Staff Writer
    The Red Moose Gift Gallery is open for business and it is chock-full of new and old. Rhonda Brophy and Kim Rodriguez have two businesses within the shop. Brophy operates hers near the back of the showroom and Rodriguez uses the front part. They have a combination of gift ideas for the savvy shopper.
    Brophy features some consignment items such as handmade jewelry by Dorothy Grandenitti of Upper Shin Pond, quilts by Dottie Robb who summers in the area, lighted glass blocks with seasonal decorations by Michelle Harris of Dyer Brook, Jewelry from the Earth by Nicole Drew and Eve Rice, Cheerful Giver candles, Maine t-shirts, sweatshirts and other souvenir items. She also carries Willow Tree angels.
    Rodriguez focuses on antiques from china to furniture. She carries a variety of gifts such as; stuffed animals, specialty soaps and oils, figurines, Merry Moose candles and more. Both owners encourage shoppers to buy locally.
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Karen Donato
RED MOOSE GIFT GALLERY — Rhonda Brophy is ready for the holidays at her gift gallery on Main Street in Patten. Brophy and Kimberly Rodriguez combine new items with antique dishes and furniture that provides a variety of choices for their shoppers.
    Brophy had just purchased the building last spring when the business next door caught fire. Brophy recalled the major event and praised Houlton’s fire department for sending their ladder truck to the rescue.
    “We would have lost the whole Main Street if it hadn’t been for Houlton,” she added.
    At the time, Rodriguez was selling her antiques in the building that burned. She lost a big part of her inventory, but she has been able to restock and has found some very interesting pieces.
    The space left from the fire is now a parking lot. The building that houses the gift shop has a new addition in the back. It includes a laundromat called, The Washtub and Cabin Stitches, another new business offering fabric, yarn and sewing supplies, as well as; alterations, repairs and made to order items.
    Brophy, who grew up in Robinson doesn’t let much grass grow under her feet. She is also the curator of the Patten Lumberman’s Museum. She is very busy managing the museum from spring through the fall, but winter gives her more time to be in her shop.
    Rodriguez moved to Patten from the mid-coast region three years ago. She has always been interested in antiques, selling them on the coast at flea markets, on eBay and for seven years while living in Florida. Rodriguez said that she had never heard of Patten until her brothers had bought camps at a lake in Island Falls. She loves the area and enjoys meeting new people at the antique shop.
    The Red Moose Gift Gallery is open Tuesday thru Sunday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. They are closed on Mondays. The gallery is located at 14 Main Street, telephone 528-2059.