At this point it's almost legendary.

The Cheese House, was a New England chain of wine and cheese stores that operated within yellow circular shaped buildings that resembled a round of cheese with a piece taken from it, and with a mouse on the roof.  Yes, these were certainly distinctive looking, and a very well known brand in the region back in the 1970s.

For years, one stood at the corner of Route 3 and the Jordan River Road in Trenton, and it was a roadside novelty if there ever was one.  You certainly couldn't miss it. One didn't just drive by or turn the corner without taking a glance at the Cheese House.  Even with all the huge roadside and rooftop metal and ceramic lobsters attached to every lobster restaurant between Ellsworth and Bar Harbor, the mouse stood out.

WDEA Ellsworth Maine logo
Get our free mobile app
The Cheese House in Trenton. EBay via electricattic
The Cheese House in Trenton. EBay via electricattic
loading...

The mouse also stood as a challenge for Ellsworth High School students.

It happened quite often before there were surveillance cameras and up to date security systems, where someone in the middle of the night would climb atop the building and steal the mouse. The mouse was then taken for a ride within a car-load of laughing students along Route 3 and into Ellsworth, where it would then be placed on the roof of the Ellsworth High School, which stood in the same location as the Elementary-Middle School does today.

It happened quite often. Both the principal of the school and the owner of the business knew where to look when the mouse went missing.

The Cheese House today - Google Maps
The Cheese House today - Google Maps
loading...

The Cheese House on Route 3 closed down for good in 1984.  It stood empty for a good many years until various business types tried selling gifts, pizza, and sandwiches from it over the years.  Now, it's a part-time Harley-Davidson dealership and store during the summer months.

But, the legend of The Cheese House continues on.

50 Famous Brands That No Longer Exist

CHECK IT OUT: See the 100 most popular brands in America

More From WDEA Ellsworth Maine