East Brown Cow
178 Middle Street
Project Overview
- Transformative rehabilitation of a nineteenth-century landmark for The Docent’s Collection hospitality lofts and ground-floor retail use within Old Port Square, a high-traffic downtown destination that comprises a four-acre block
- Significant floor leveling, basement excavation and structural reshoring to support new use and achieve modern code compliance
- Preservation of original millwork, masonry and cast iron and integration of historically-accurate custom windows, masonry and roof elements
East Brown Cow called for the transformation of the historic Boyd Block at 178 Middle Street into a collection of hospitality suites and retail space while preserving the building’s historic significance. The project required a complete interior reconstruction including new elevators, modern M/E/P/FP systems and extensive restoration of historic materials and finishes. Original masonry façades, cast iron elements, millwork and windows were carefully preserved or replicated to maintain the building’s historic identity. The renovation also introduced modern all-electric building systems within the preserved historic shell.
Significant structural modifications included excavating and lowering basements to create usable space, reshoring foundations and reconstructing interior floor systems to address slopes of up to four inches, as well as integrating a new monumental stair connecting hospitality levels. Deformation scanning was used to verify floor levelness and guide joist modifications. All work was executed within a dense urban setting while coordinating with occupied ground floor retail spaces and neighboring buildings that relied on shared egress.
178 Middle Street is located within Old Port Square—a four-acre redevelopment project in the heart of Portland’s historic Old Port that brings together hospitality, retail, parking and public-facing spaces.
