FILE PHOTO / COURTESY THE BOULOS CO.
On the left is 178 Middle St. with the smaller 184 Middle St. next to it.
Updated: July 11, 2025
Old Port hospitality collection expands
Photo / Courtesy East Brown Cow
East Brown Cow’s short- and long-stay units expanded with the completion of 16 lofts at 178 Middle St.
Portland real estate management, investment and development firm East Brown Cow and Commonwealth Hotels, a Kentucky-based hotel operator, unveiled the expansion of East Brown Cow’s Docent’s Collection hospitality portfolio with the addition of 16 lofts at 178 Middle St. in the Old Port.
East Brown Cow bought the building, known as the Boyd Block and dating back to 1867, in 2021 as part of a larger portfolio along Middle Street.
The company soon after began renovations of the portfolio’s upper stories to create short- and long-stay units, bringing in Commonwealth Hotels for the newly dubbed Docent’s Collection.
With earlier restorations completed at 121 Middle St. and 115 Middle St., the Boyd Block units are the latest addition to the collection.
The goal is to bridge the gap between “a high-caliber hotel experience and a luxury residential rental,” according to a news release.
“Preserving Portland’s architectural history is of the utmost importance to our company and is a core tenet of this hospitality brand,” said Tim Soley, East Brown Cow’s president and CEO.
The Boyd Block was primarily utilized by lawyers and bankers in the late 19th and 20th centuries, leaving an ornate preexisting structure that inspired the interior design of the lofts.
Architectural features include large windows and views overlooking two parks, custom floor-to-ceiling paneled kitchens, marble countertops and patterned white oak flooring.
Interiors include works from Maine-based artists.
Plans are in the works to open three additional lofts this fall in a conjoining building at 184 Middle St.
Ground-floor storefronts in both buildings includes Rough & Tumble, Bangor Savings Bank and Warby Parker.
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