Retro Louisville Malls
Hey guys! Well, I haven't covered any Louisville malls here yet (do have an entry for Florence Mall in Kentucky though), so I think it's about time. Thanks to a generous MOA reader who wishes to receive no credit for this great submission (but you know who you are and I'm giving you silent credit!), I share the following Louisville area mall memories and photos from Nameless:
I’ve enjoyed your efforts so much, I thought I’d send a few pictures and descriptions of local malls from the past here in Louisville, Kentucky, for your collection (if you don’t have some already).
Bashford Manor Mall opened in the early seventies (1971 or 72, I believe), was remodeled in the late eighties, and died and was replaced by a Wal-Mart and Lowe’s just a few years ago. These are pictures I took as a kid in 1979, not knowing at the time how precious they would become. This mall had TV pits, a big rustic wooden shelter-type structure in one of the courts, and a large circular painting of famous horses on the high, windowless ceiling above the fountain in the court outside Bacon’s department store.
Bashford Manor Mall, original Center Court, 1979 The mall sat on the former Bashford Manor horse farm, and the horses pictured on that ceiling were either previous Kentucky Derby winners, or famous horses from Bashford Manor Farm—I don’t remember. The painting was removed in the heartless remodel of the late eighties. I’ve heard that at one time, Bashford Manor was the busiest mall in the metro area, beating out Oxmoor Center, Jefferson Mall, Greentree Mall (in Indiana) and the very popular Mall St. Matthews.
Bashford Manor Mall, original Bacon’s Court, 1979Greentree Mall in Clarksville, Indiana, opened in the late sixties. It was renovated in the eighties and again in the nineties. Originally, the most distinguishing feature was a large tree beneath the skylight in the center court area. Hence the name of the mall. Greentree originally had the same polished concrete floors and giant concrete turtles for kids to climb on that were originally at the Mall St. Matthews, which I’ve described below.
I also have some old pictures of another local mall from the late seventies. Once I get them scanned, I’ll send a few. They’re of Jefferson Mall (opened, 1978), which was a Jacobs mall. I have pictures from the nineties of several other Jacobs malls in Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio before renovation or demolition, and I’ll send some for comparison once I scan them. It would be interesting to know who designed them, because, as with the Taubmans, there are many similarities.
I know that Belden Village in Canton, Ohio, and Southlake in Merrillville, Indiana, were both Jacobs-owned malls. I think I read somewhere that Southlake opened in 1976. Euclid Square in Ohio was also a Jacobs, and I believe there’s a picture-filled site devoted to its death on the web. Now I think most of the Jacobs malls have been sold.
Raceland Mall: Another mall just about a mile down the road from Bashford Manor was Raceland Mall. It opened in 1975. I remember visiting in the early eighties, and it was already practically dead. It was situated in an unfortunate area near crime-ridden housing and too close to Bashford Manor. It is currently home to a massive auto center, and the shell of the mall is still somewhat recognizable. The following picture ran in the Louisville Courier-Journal as part of an article on the impending demise of Bashford Manor. The quality isn’t great, but to me, it’s better than nothing.
At the opening of Raceland Mall, 1975Mall St. Matthews: The mall of my childhood is the current Mall St. Matthews (then called simply, “The Mall”). It was a Rouse mall. I may share more memories of it later as I have time. I don’t have any old pictures of it, yet the time I spent there as a toddler in the late sixties was some of the most memorable of my childhood. My mother used to put me in front of either of the two fountains while she had some alone time elsewhere in the mall (This was in the days before we worried about random kidnapping). No matter how long I sat there, when she came to take me away, I screamed and cried all the way home.
Imagine my heartbreak when I went back in the late seventies to find it in the process of renovation. It was remodeled again in the early nineties. It’s currently the largest and seemingly most popular local mall. Of course, nothing compares to those nostalgic memories of the old mall when it had only two anchors, polished concrete floors, an aviary, giant concrete turtles to play on, and some of the most interesting mall fountains ever.
Edit: Corrected the Raceland Mall opening date from 1974 to 1975.
posted by Keith @ 11/02/2006
77 Comments:
I can't find anything on Park Place Mall being turned into a lifestyle center. Can someone please fill me in on this?
Wow, Keith. I didn't anticipate you using all my ramblings! Thanks. I hope you got the follow-up that included corrections (like Raceland opening in 1975, rather than 1974) and more details on other local malls. It's good to see these old familiar places making an appearance on MOA!
Bobby, I may have gotten somewhat over-indulgent in calling Park Place a "lifestyle center." I live in that part of town now, and we do hunger a bit for something beyond basic as far as retail goes. I concede that one might prefer to use the term "shopping center" when referring to it.
For the record, in the nineties, Park Place was redesigned so that all stores open to the front parking area off of Dixie Highway. Current occupants include Value City, Big Lots, Smith's Furniture, Target, and a number of smaller stores. I couldn't swear that none of the old mall interior exists, but the remodel was mighty extensive, and I'd be surprised to find much if any of it intact. However, a trip around the back does reveal a relatively unaltered exterior.
And thanks, Cora; I'm glad the photos were appreciated. These old pictures certainly don't do anybody any good just sitting in boxes!
Thanks J! What were the anchors of Raceland and Westland/Park Place when they opened? Also, do you have any info on Mid City Mall? I would like to know as I'm compiling info for a page that covers EVERY mall in the US and Canada.
I love the Raceland photo, very classy. Hard to believe it died so quickly.
J, please do share more photos as they are very much appreciated.
Bobby, I'm afraid that in this election season I'm going to sound like a politician who's answering every question except the ones you asked. Unfortunately, I only went to Raceland three times while it was open. The first time was about 1980, and I spent much of my visit right where the folks in the picture are. I had gone with my parents; they were meeting some friends for dinner at the mall's cafteteria-style restaurant (Blue Boar, I believe). After I ate, I went out into the mall to sit by the fountain for some alone time while the adults visited. Indeed, alone I was. I remember that many of the stores were already empty, and I was the only person in the center court most of the time. It was a winter evening, already dark outside, and eerily serene, with just the sounds of the splashing water and the occasional voice from one of the few open businesses.
As for the stores at Raceland, I recall anchor-worthy space only on the end of the mall that this picture faces. To the left in the picture was the front entrance, to the right was a short arcade (no memory of an anchor there), and behind the photographer were cinemas and an exit to the outside. Frankly, it's hard to image what anchors could have survived there, with Mall St. Matthews and Oxmoor just a short drive to the east, and Bashford Manor only a mile or so away.
My second visit to Raceland was in the late eighties, and the mall had decayed considerably, with the only activity at the cinemas. My last visit was in the early nineties. By then the mall was shuttered, but a Pace discount warehouse store was open in the anchor space that this photo faces.
I believe that Raceland may have been a mall with two anchors next to each other, with the outer one possibly being a grocery store. This was the case with a few of our malls. Bashford Manor had a Target opening to the mall, but a Valu Market connected to it on the other side. Westland/Park Place had something connected to the non-mall side of its Target before Target expanded into that space. And in Lexington, Lexington Mall had a McAlpin's home store opening to the mall, and a County Market connected to the other side of that store. There appeared to be no interior doors connecting any of these pairs of anchors.
As for Mid City Mall, I only happened upon it in the early nineties, and it was nearly dead then. Now it has enjoyed a rebirth, thanks to some rezoning efforts which allow the mall to get a bit more creative with its leasing. Mid City is a big box of a building with one hallway running from front to back. There is a parking area on each end of the mall. A supermarket is located to the right of the front entrance. For years this supermarket was a Winn-Dixie. It then became a Buehler's, and now it's a Valu-Market. If you pass through the mall, at the end and to your left are the Baxter Avenue Theaters. When I visited in the early nineties, this was a large vacant anchor space. I would have to guess, based on what else was in Louisville during the sixties and seventies, that this could have been a CSC (Consolidated), an Ames, or a Zayre.
Currently, Mid City also contains a Rite-Aid drug store, an Oriental buffet, a branch of the Louisville Free Public Library, a Subway Sandwich Shop, the main offices of a local auto magazine, the Comedy Caravan comedy club, a Family Dollar Store, and more. For me, the best part is the basement. There you'll find the Nearly New Shop, a thrift store located in what was previously either an old skating rink or dance club. The space is still pretty much as it was, with shag-carpeted columns and railings, and sets of shag-carpeted stairs that lead down to the old wood-floored dance/skating area, parts of which are still accessible, but most of which is used for storage.
As for Westland, I only visited it twice before its remodeling. In the late 80s, I went to see a movie there with some friends and passed through the mall. The interior was stark, and most stores were empty. I went again in the early nineties. The main portion of the mall was shuttered, and a rough passageway had been created from the Dixie Highway parking lot side of the mall to the theaters. The Target, which was next to the theaters, was still open to the mall at that time.
What I can certainly offer are some memories of other malls in the area. As for Mall St. Matthews ("The Mall" originally), I vaguely remember Kaufman's as an anchor, and I clearly remember Roses. We frequently went to Roses for lunch at their cafe. I recall another MOA reader mentioning the practice at these places of popping a balloon after the meal to reveal a tiny piece of paper inside. If you were lucky, the paper would tell you that you had won something, like a free dessert. This happened at our Roses cafe, too. Having been a rather tense child, I found that all the popping turned what was otherwise a real treat into a somewhat unnerving experience.
Roses in "The Mall" was located where the current food court and adjoining shops (Pac-Sun, etc.) are today. Kaufman's would have been in what is now the Dillard's men's/children's/home store. This store was, I believe, later Penney's, which moved to its current location with the first mall expansion. Eventually, Bacon's moved from its original old free-standing store in St. Matthews to this mall space; the old store became the Bacon's Home Store until Dillard's acquired all local Bacon's stores.
As for Oxmoor Center, original anchors were Shillito's (later Lazarus, now Macy's), Stewart's (later, among other things I've forgotten, Hess's, Jacobson's, and now Von Maur), and, as part of an expansion in the early eighties, Sears. Sears moved from a great old circa 1950s building a few miles up the road (where Big Lots is currently located). It has been altered considerably and divided into smaller units, but if you go into the front entryway, you can still see the cool old terrazzo staircase leading to the second floor. Considering current trends, maybe Sears should think about moving back!
Incidentally, Oxmoor was developed by Winmar Company, Inc.. Winmar is one of the two companies involved in developing the Penn-Can Mall near Syracuse, NY, which, as I'm sure you know, is the subject of its own site.
Bashford Manor's anchors were Bacon's, Ben Snyder (later Hess', then Bacon's/Dillard's Home Stores), and Ayr-Way (later Target). I don't know what would have occupied the space on the outer side of Ayr-Way when the mall opened. The fact that Ayr-Way was in Bashford Manor leads me to suspect that the Target at Westland/Park Place may have been an Ayr-Way, too, and possibly as an original anchor.
To my knowledge, Greentree Mall in Clarksville, IN, had Penney's, Sears, and Ben Snyder. River Falls Mall, built near Greentree in the early nineties, had Wal-Mart and Bacon's. That mall died fairly quickly, and it has since been radically redesigned. Bass Pro took over the main portion of the mall interior.
The Galleria in downtown Louisville, which opened in 1982, had a Bacon's. You could also walk through the second floor to a smaller shopping court in the Stark's Building, and through a pedway to what is the old downtown Stewart's building. My memory is kind of fuzzy on this, but I do know that this store became Hess' in the mid-eighties. That whole area has now been transformed into an entertainment district known as Fourth Street Live.
I hope that's somewhat helpful, Bobby. I'm certain about much of what I've included, but many memories are just not very clear. I must admit that I was too young to care about much more than the fountains and food when most of these malls were new. If I get a chance to do some research on Westland, Raceland, and Mid City, I'll be happy to post what I discover.
By the way, what a formidable task to catalog all U.S. and Canadian malls. In the nineties, when I noticed that most of my favorite malls were either gone or renovated (some twice), I decided to try to find as many malls as I could before they all disappeared. I eventually gave that project a rest to pursue other interests, but I did find many intriguing malls along the way, several in small towns, mostly in Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio, and a few in Illinois, Tennessee, Alabama, and North Carolina. I can send you a list, if you think it would help with your project.
Didi, I intend to dig through my "files" when I have a chance and send more pictures. Unfortunately, many of the pictures that I took during the seventies are very dark and not of good quality; the ones I've already sent are among the best. But I'll scan and forward what I can, in case Keith can find a way to use them.
And thanks again, Keith, for being a faithful keeper of mall memories.
I used to go to Bashford Manor Mall with my now deceased grandfather when I was younger. I loved it. They had a nice little Aladdins Castle arcade there. It was a bit seedy I always thought, but to play Galaga you make sacrifices. I don't remember the center court fountain at Bashford Manor, but I do remember the horse paintings surrounding the court outside the Walgreens. It was designed to look like a horse barn since the mall was built on a famous horse farm.
What beautiful 60s-70s mall fountains! *Love* the pale sky blue paint underwater and the pebbled concrete, slightly sloped, high side walls. The lower one has a couple of nice spray rings, the one in the background is the smallest I've ever seen! The upper center court one has a Rain Jet "Bursting Stars" nozzle (still made by OASE in Germany) The Rain Jet nozzles spin around and throw out a spiralling cone of droplets. At higher pressure it'd look more like a cone, with a second little cone around the base. These are great display nozzles for mall fountains, not only because of their happy musical patter and visible wiggling action (looking like a steam-vent weight on a pressure cooker) but because each tiny droplet acts like a prizm. Rain Jet offered bases called Aquavators with from one to five lights, properly positioned, ready to accept a nozzle and pump - put a red, blue, amber, green and white light on a 5-light Aquavator with one of these nozzles, and every single droplet will reflect all five colors at once, all the time.
I'm responding to Kirb, Jonas, Bobby, and Cora here. It's lengthy; sorry...
Oh, a BARN! Now it makes sense, Kirb. Thanks for the clarification. All I remember of that structure is that it was wooden with benches along the perimeter. We liked running and jumping through it because the floor was hollow and it made lots of noise. Also, Kirb, I can see why you might be confused about those pictures; the captions should be switched. The largest court, outside of Bacon's (with the spiraling fountain) was the closest to Bardstown Road. The next court was where the barn was, with two arcades branching to the front and back of the mall. The next court (with the spray rings) was outside Snyder's/Hess's/etc. I remember it as the only place in the mall that originally had any natural light. The next court, the smallest, was on the farthest end, outside of Target, with a small arcade leading to the front parking area. This was where Santa and the Easter Bunny sat, at least in the mall's later years.
Jonas, you are speaking my language. I've got some old fountain catalogs, one of which is for Rain Jet. The Bursting Stars nozzle in the Bacon's Court fountain was replaced in the last few years before the remodel with a ring with an inside fall pattern. The floor of that pool was actually mirrored, which didn't translate well to film. The pool of the other fountain was, indeed, that wonderful blue-green you see there. For me, it's all about the details of these old mall fountains--nozzles, lighting, the works.
To me, Mall St. Matthews really had the most interesting fountains. The one by the stairs in the Kaufman's court was rectangular, with ten mushroom nozzles around the perimeter, four foam jets in a row down the middle, and a fleur-de-lis nozzle in the center. They cycled in patterns, and it was mesmerizing as a child. The mushroom nozzles were particularly fun when they turned off at the end of a cycle. The other fountain had four jets surrounding a large foam jet. One jet would turn on, then another, until all four were on. Then they'd all go off and the large foam jet would come on. Then the pattern would repeat. A waterfall and stream flowed into the pool where these jets were located. One day when I visited, the water level was too low for the foam jet, and when it would turn on, it shot to the ceiling. This jet was like the ones in the picture Keith posted of the fountain at Kennedy Mall.
Bobby, if I'd been thinking, I would have saved myself the trouble of writing about those anchors and just checked Wikipedia first. As for Mall St. Matthews, I know that the current Penney's location was not an original part of the mall. That wing was added later, probably in the late sixties.
Cora, the three main malls in Lexington were Fayette, Lexington Mall, and Turfland. Turfland was the first, built in the 60s, Fayette opened in the early 70s, and Lexington Mall in 1974. McAlpin's was in Lexington Mall and Turfland, and third one was added in the addition to Fayette in the 90s. The green-roofed mall is Lexington Green, originally opening with Joseph-Beth Booksellers and FAO Schwartz on either end, but with no real anchor space. Schwartz left quickly. In the nineties, Joseph-Beth took over the massive, very attractive interior mall court, but did leave it structurally intact. Lexington Green is about a block away from Fayette Mall, to the rear of Target, formerly Gold Circle.
The downtown mall you're remembering was Festival Market, which had only small specialty stores and eateries. The carousel was on the top floor by the food court. After it opened, we went there at least once a week to eat at the new-to-us T.J. Cinnamon's located on the ground floor next to the fountain. MMMMM, those cinnamon rolls were good! Downtown Lexington also had the Civic Center Shops beside Rupp Arena, and Victorian Square, all of which were connected by pedway in one way or another. I'll send you some photos.
The last post was from me. I got in a hurry!
Great posts here. I can't add much to what has been said except that the anchor of Raceland in the late 70's was a store called Britt's, a discount dept. store I never saw anywhere but there. I don't know if it was the orginal anchor or not. There was also a music store in the mall - my parents still own the piano we bought there.
That is the scariest looking fountain I've ever seen.
Halfalfa, I've sort of heard of Britt's. According to Wikipedia they were owned by JJ Newberry's.
Besides Raceland, I know that there were Britt's in:
* Quintard Mall - Oxford, AL (now Sears)
* Coral Ridge Mall - Fort Lauderdale, FL (torn down for Target)
Just wanted to add a few final details about the Bashford Manor fountains in the interest of creating a complete record. The one with the rings had a matching niche and small ring on the opposite side, out of the picture. As for the spiraling fountain (which I might refer to as "whimsical"), water from the jet filled the mirrored pool and spilled over the sides along the brick-lined edges, which created a kind of vanishing-edge effect. It's hard to tell that from this photo. The mirrored basin was sloped to the center, and that darkness in the middle of the pool is the loose change people had tossed in.
Keith, I've been having some difficulty with my email, so I wanted to go on record here as making sure you knew that I've sent two additional emails since this one. If those files didn't reach you, I'd be happy to try again. I know the work you do here is incredibly time consuming, and I am grateful for it.
Cora, hope you received my email.
Oh, and, thanks Halfalfa and Bobby, for supplying that missing piece about Britt's in Raceland.
Yes, Cora, I can see how a walk from Fayette to Lexington Green would have been treacherous. It's a shame we can't be a little more pedestrian-friendly.
You should have received some photos from the '90s of Fayette and Festival Market via e-mail from me. I've got some others ready to go, but I wanted to be sure that you were receiving them before I proceeded. I've been sending them to the e-mail address listed on your site.
J said:
"Keith, I've been having some difficulty with my email, so I wanted to go on record here as making sure you knew that I've sent two additional emails since this one. If those files didn't reach you, I'd be happy to try again. I know the work you do here is incredibly time consuming, and I am grateful for it."
Thanks J. No, I've received no additional e-mails from you of late. Gonna need to resend, if you would. Thanks!
And, btw: yep all the memories you sent with those pix were good stuff! I didn't see a reason to leave any out--that's what this blog is all about man. You took the time to write it and send it, so I was more than happy to share it all. :)
I've corrected that Raceland opening date. Thanks.
Keith, I've just re-sent a portion of the second file. I originally e-mailed it just a few days after the first one. I'm wondering if the original was too large, so I'm breaking it up to see if that helps. I sent the third file just a few days ago. I'm e-mailing from a new mailbox, so you'll see something from ftn65. That's me.
Wow, J! You know a lot about malls in louisville. I was wondering if you have any information about a small mall in the east end called "holiday manor walk". I live close to it and would be intrested to know it's history. Btw, bobby your mall directory seems to be down.
Aaron, I just happened to check back here today. Yes, I'm aware of Holiday Manor Walk, but my only memory of that area is going there as a kid for toys at the TG&Y, which is now Kroger. Specifically, I remember going there in the days after the '74 tornado. Schools were still closed, electricity was still out, and we were going crazy. For a diversion, Mom packed us into the car and headed for Holiday Manor. Of course, we didn't anticipate that the trip would take forever, since traffic lights were out, and police were still very careful about who they were allowing into areas with heavy damage. In fact, I think we gave up and went back home.
As far as the "Walk" portion of Holiday Manor, I don't remember it at all as a kid. It may have been added years later.
This is the most fun I've had in awhile online...just reading what people have written about towns and stores from my childhood, now long-gone or long since left; makes me feel at home. As a little girl, we had a TG&Y, which I loved, and Roses. I grew up in Elizabethtown, about 45 minutes from Louisville, and the 'malls' were to small-town kids in the 1970's, a magical place and a real treat to get to visit a couple of times a year. I do remember Jefferson Mall to be the one to visit in the late 70's and early 80's, it seemed huge to me then. Elizabethtown got its own mall in the mid-80s and I can remember my first visit there to buy a baked potato for dinner on my break from work...how funny, that's the thing I remember first.
Great blog, I'm a fan for sure now. Thanks for the wonderful facts and photos!
has anyone heard of lyles mall?
Lyles "Mall" isn't really a mall, more of an office building.
Oh, and Aaron, my Mall directory isn't technically down... it's actually not even up yet.
J, was Holiday an enclosed mall?
Bobby: Holiday Manor has a covered portion located across the parking lot from the building containing Kroger. It's called Holiday Manor Walk. I think of it as a "breezeway" with small shops. An irregular strip of stores faces the parking lot and Kroger, and the covered portion cuts through the middle. It's been a while since I visited, and Aaron may be able to provide more detail...When I get the chance, I'll stop by and see what I've forgotten.
Aaron, thanks for mentioning Lyles Mall. I've seen it on maps, and I've visited, but, as Bobby says, there's really nothing "mall" about it.
Bobby: To clarify, Holiday was built as a strip center; it was never enclosed, except for the Walk portion, if you count that. It's possible that the Walk was enclosed at one time, but I have my doubts. Maybe someone has some knowledge of it prior to the late 1980s...
Holiday manor was open on 18/04/63. Back then, it was just the side with the kroger. Later, it was expanded and another strip was added across the parking lot, which included a stan humphys garden center and a movie theater(now the emporer of china restaurant). In the 80's the garden center was torn downs and the holiday manor walk was built where it used to be. J, if/when you check you holiday manor, also try to stop at the brownsboro center office arcade in the brownsboro center shopping center accross the watterson. I think it is mainly offices and a few shops, and I beleive it still has 60's/70's vintage architecture. Also, bobby, when will your site be up?
Oh,and also I don't think that there was a FAO schwartz store in lexington green. I do know that there was once a store that contained the word "Scwartz" in it's tital, but it was not a toy store.
Oh, I hate being a source of misinformation on the internet. You know, Aaron, I never got to the Schwartz in Lexington Green before it closed, and everyone I knew just thought it was the toy store. We weren't surprised that it didn't last long. Now I wonder what they sold...
Thanks for the great information about Holiday Manor, particularly the reminder about the cinemas. I'm sure we went there when I was little. And, yes, I am aware of Brownsboro Center, but I didn't think to mention it, since it's not really a mall. But I do appreciate the fact that a noticeable portion of it remains in its original state. I know that the bank in the parking lot used to have a small walled garden on the Watterson side of it; it had a great vintage feel, with a sculpture in the corner. I guess the garden might still be there.
Not to look a gift horse in the mouth or anything, but do you happen to have any background information about Brownsboro Center? (I think I may be better at digging up photos than info!):)
I believe that the stores from the arcade to the party mart were built first, then the arcade, the the stores to the left of the arcade, then the medical center. Do you have any pictures of brownsboro center,J?
I do have a few, but, of course, they're from the '90s. Better than nothing!
Aaron, I had a chance to get back to Brownsboro Center this weekend, and I had forgotten what a slice of the '60s it still is in so many places. That little arcade looks even better that it did when I was there last. And what a surprise to see that the fountain has been restored! Thanks for putting it back on my radar. I went ahead and took some more photos, and I'll send some to Keith, in case he feels they will work for MOA.
Do you have photos of Brownsboro Center?
I would like to offer some more insight on the malls talked about, Raceland, Westland (Park Place) & Bashford Mannor. Raceland and Westland were built by the same contractor at the same time and were doomed from the very beginning. The original contractor/developer went bankrupt and construction was halted for more than a year on both locations. After construction was restarted, Grant's became an anchor store at Raceland and a co-anchor at Westland (CSC was the other anchor). After being open less than a year, Grants closed all of thir Louisville stores. The Raceland location was soon occupied by a department store called "Britts", which was not a fit at all in the Raceland location. It closed probably within a year of opening. CSC & Pace Warehouse soon followed in the space. There was a grocery store on the Raceland location as well, IGA Foodliner which later turned into Buy Low Foods. A majority of the stores in Raceland were never occupied and the ones that were didn't stay long. Morrison's cafeteria opened fo a while. There was never a chance for redevelopment of the mall, especially when PACE closed off the mall entrance forcing patrons to go outside to enter the mall. A major expansion was planned called "Creekside Pavilion". It too never got off the ground and finally Bill Collins purchased the land for his car lot. However, his original plans did not materialize because he wanted all of his car lots on the property (Buick-Chevy-Chrysler-Dodge) but Ford Motor Company said no. The used car company now know as car source was also originally called car "force", but due to a legal dispute had to change it's name. This piece of property must have a black cloud hanging over it.
The Westland Mall was a little more successfull. A majority of the mall was occupied and thrived in Southwest Louisville, but there were no chain stores that occupied the mall, mostly local ownership that came and went. A favorite in the mall was Mario's pizza, at the time a Louisville favorite. CSC, A&P Grocery & Target (formerly Ayr-Way & Grants) were the major tenants.
It is such as shame that Bashford Mannor Mall had to go. I too remember going during Christmas season and having to park close to Bardstown Road or in the corner near Bashford Mannor. The mall was packed, Musicland, Walden Books, Levy Bros clothing store, Blue Boar, Bacon's, Ben Snyders were a few of the favorite stores. The mall was very unique with carpet, televisions, fountains and other items. For years it was rumored that Stewart's and Shilito's would be built where the Target is presently located. A&P Grocery was the tenant located next to Target. The mall was located in an area that became filled with crime (shoplifting, gangs, etc) and could not attract new tenants.
Does anyone remember the Oulets Limited Mall where Garden Ridge is presently located? Another unique mall that didn't last very long.
I did some research on Mid City Mall and wrote about it here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid_City_Mall
Yeah there was a Zayre's/Ames. And a bowling alley and a skating rink... who knew?
Hey, didn't Park Place have a movie theater? I remember going there and seeing He-Man. Wow, the memories!
Just a note - Consolidated was an anchor for Raceland mall. They are no longer in business. I remember going to the movie theaters as a kid too. I don't remember what else was there when the original mall opened. It's now a HUGE car lot. I went by the old Bashford Manor Mall yesterday and it was SO sad to see they were tearing down the former Bacon's/Dillards building (the only remaining building of the mall). Man, did I spend many a Saturday there with my mother & later as an adult. I even bought my wedding dress from Bacon's. I took pictures of what is left but it's coming down fast. WOW - I know a Burlington Coat Factory is moving in there but I was hoping that they would move into the abandoned building just so I could go in there one more time....No matter what, Bacon's will ALWAYS be my favorite store.
Has the Dillard's that use to be Bacon's at the Mall St. Matthews been demolished??? I moved away years ago, but read that Dillard's had moved to the old Lord and Taylor building.
The Mall St. Matthews Dillard's did move to the Lord and Taylor space, but the building is still there. There has been some speculation that the former Bacon's space might be demolished to make way for a lifestyle section, but there's no sign of any change yet. A portion of the empty anchor has been used for the Halloween and Christmas stores since Dillard's left.
The old Bacon's/Dillard's at Bashford Manor has been razed, though. That was the only part of the mall that had not yet been demolished.
Jay (j)
I'm coming a little late to the discussion but what I've read has brought back a lot of good memories. As a born-and-bred Louisvillian I spent days at most of the places mentioned here so it's been great reading common memories and digging up ones I'd lost.
To add my two cents' worth - I haven't seen anyone mention my favorite part of Mall St. Matthews/The Mall: the birdcage outside of Rose's. It was about ten feet tall and full of parrots, cockatoos, parakeets, etc. I'm sure it would be considered a horrible health risk today, with feathers floating out into the mall and Morrison's cafeteria right next to it, but to kids it was great fun to visit.
My favorite part of Oxmoor was Farrell's, the kind of ice ceram shoppe they still make fun of on "The Simpsons" - the staff wore old-fashioned costumes, sang to you on your birthday, had things on the menu like sasparilla and sold penny candy as you were leaving. It was on the balcony where the food court is now.
Finally, as they were about to cart off the last of Bashford Manor my partner David and I (he worked at Bayside, and we live nearby today) snuck onto the property and took a few bricks and pieces of masonry for our garden. So as I complain about getting older and seeing fewer things I remember from my childhood, at least I have a couple of little pieces of it I can hold on to.
Two mall memories:
Raceland hosted the Stewart's Antique Flea Market one weekend a month for a year or so back in 1975/76. That was a blast. I remember going to that setting and checking out the comic book dealers in 1976. It was the liveliest that mall probably ever was, a really solid idea for a draw, as it indeed teemed with people those 3 days a month. (I can recall them having a pretty hot arcade there as late as 1982, during the height of the Pac Man Era, too.)
The Mid City Mall was a destination for me about once a week ca. 1974-76. There was a newstand there that had comics, and the last gasp of the monster movie magazines -- Famous Monsters, Castle of Frankenstein and Monster Times. I remember one oddity about the shop itself. It was a large freestanding cage in the middle of the mall concourse and had a red and white canvas awning around the top of it. Sort of carnival-looking. But just above that colorful awning was barbed wire. No joke. I dreamed about that store periodically for years after they had narrowed the hallway of Mid City Mall and the shop was moved to a spot by the Bardstown Road side entrance. As I recall, those dreams always involved an effort to scale the walls of the shop and that barbed wire.
Bobby,
I can answer your questions about anchor stores and give you some additional history on the Westland and Raceland Malls. Westland Mall was 1st anchored by an existing CSC store and the mall was added. Grant City was the other anchor. Grant's went out of business shortly after the mall opened. Ayr-Way opened immediatley in the space and later changed to Target. The mall never had any other major stores other than a Radio Shack. The mall was doomed from the very beginning. After construction started on both malls, the developer went bankrupt and construction was halted for a year or longer. The Raceland Mall was also anchored by a Grant's store, followed by Britt's, CSC and finally Pace Membership Warehouse. When Pace moved into the space they closed off the entrance from the store to the mall, all but shutting down this already deserted mall. The only store left at this time was the theater's, which closed shortly. Raceland Mall did have a Morrison's Cafeteria when it opened and a few other major mall stores, but nothing lasted. Another developer years later was going to add onto the mall and changed the name to Creek Side Pavilion. However, that never developed. Raceland Mall is located in front of low income apartments which was a big problem for whatever stores moved in. Bill Collins Ford (www.billcollinsford.com) bought the property in the late 90's and turned it into an auto complex. Again the plan was to put a Ford, Buick, Dodge, and Chrysler dealership all on the property. Ford said no way and his plans had to be altered. Bill Collin's spent millions of dollars renovating the property and saved much of the structure. The mall wing still exist and has a few retail stores and car museum housed in it. The former self standng grocery store now houses their used car center, Auto Force.
I remember clearly that WT Grants was in Raceland Mall,,on the Fegenbush lane side.I still have a dresser that my mother bought there in around 1975 or so. My aunt's mother lived in the townhouses there that front Fegenbush Lane back before that area became so infested with drugs and crime.That was ultimatly the death knell for raceland mall. one thing I do remember is listening to Bill Baily on WAKY advertising for Buy-Low Foods,,which i believe had a location as a free-standing building in the parking lot.My mother worked for Bank of Louisville and sometimes did fill in's at that out-lot branch at Raceland,,,she feared for her life more than once when leaving to go home in the evenings.I hated to see Raceland go,,but as others have said here,,it was doomed from the start. I have many fond memories though of Jefferson Mall. We lived at 4915 Ronwood Drive,,which is the street you can see if you ride behind the mall,,around the corner from Hartstern, Elementry school,(i went to school there from 73to75). They hauled shale and rock into that place to build it up at least 4 feet for what seemed like a year or more.When they cut down the woods that where there to start excevation,,you would not believe the rats and snakes that were flushed from there into our neighborhood. I remember my dad coming home from work at Armor Elevator one afternoon and finding my mother standing on the hood of our 66 Chevy stomping up and down. There was a snake in the driveway that must have been 10 feet long,,he grabbed a shovel from the garage and killed it.Bear in mind that at this time Outer Loop was still Two lanes wide.I have fond memories of the 16 inches of "snow flurries" we got one night,,and there was a HUGE dirt hill on the backside of J-Mall,,and I remember kids bieng brouht in from allover the area to go sledding on the huge and long hill.There was even some guys on mini-bikes and motorcyckles pulling the kids back up the hill. I remeber looking out my bedroom window and seeing Shillitoe's white sign,,and all that cool white neon tubes lining those tall entrance ways to thier store.I think the neon is still there,,but i don't think the current tennant lights it up anymore. We used to play in J-mall when it was a dirt floor.I remember watching the concrete finishers polishing the cool Terrazzo floor. What a shame to cover all that up. I went in there recently and could not believe the amount of foriegn people set up in those cheap junk-store kiosks.I remember a lot about louisville places to shop from back in the day,,thank God we at least have the memories to hold onto.I love your site too,,please post more pictures of Louisville shopping stores and centers if you can please. Jeff K.
bringing back lots of memories.
I remember going to the outlet mall where Garden Ridge is at now. It was about like any other outlet. The outside portions of the building have not been redone and still resemble the outlet mall, except for the Garden Ridge entrance.
I always enjoyed Oxmoor Mall as a kid. The use to have a 5 screen cinema there. 3 smaller screens were upstairs and 2 bigger screens were downstairs. Always thought that was odd. For some reason, I remember watching "Tomboy" and "Ernest goes to Camp" at those cinemas. The ice cream store next door to the up stairs cinemas was also a treat. In the very late 90's, the mall was upgraded to more of an "expensive" place to go and I loss my interest in going there.
I also remember the "now gone" stores of Mall St. Matthews. I enjoyed "Pass Pets" as a child. It was located in the original part before J.C. Penny. As well as "Chuck E. Cheese", which was in the part of the mall where the food court is at now (interstate side). There was an entrance into the parking lot there if you used the restaurant. Some of the malls early 90's look can still be seen in the hallways if you get a chance to go in one, such as hall to restroom. There are bright stripes of colors leading you down the hall.
I remember in 1997 that the old cinemas at "Westland--Park Place" were there but closed. There were early 90's movie posters hanging in the boxlights outside. That is where "Dollar Tree" is at now. That was when the mall was in the process of redesigning.
I remember how disappointed I was when Jefferson Mall and Bashford Manor changed. When Bashford changed in the late 90's, they were already going under. The T.V. pits is something I have never seen since in a mall. I am sure others had them. Going in "Aladdins Castle" to play games takes me back to the good ole days of the 80's.
Well, could do this forever but I am getting teary eyed thinking of my youth and all the fun I had.
I just recently came across this post and love it. I am somewhat of
a Mall nut and hope that I can answer some questions on original anchors in the Louisville malls in question. Raceland Mall had one anchor when it opened. It was Grant City, a discount chain started by the W. T. Grant Company. It would last only two years before Grant's filed Chapter 11. After that it became Britt's Department store, a division of McCrory's. Britt's lasted one year before closing. This was followed by CSC Discount Stores, a local chain. Once again, it lasted only a few years. In it's final retail use, it was Pace Membership Warehouse, owned by K-Mart and once again only lasting a couple of years. (Pace was sold to Wal-Mart and most locations converted to Sam's, except for the Raceland Mall location) The other Raceland tenants were Raceland 4 Cinemas, Carousel Snack Bar, Olan Mills Portrait Studio, Kelly and Cohen electronics (later Tokyo Shapiro Electronics)and Morrison's Cafeteria. There was a free standing supermarket added in front before it's demise. Before it was converted to Bill Collins Ford, there were plans to remodel it into a retail center called Creekside Pavilion; however funding fell through and it never happened. Westland Mall had the same owners as Raceland. It also had a Grant City as it's original anchor. After Grant's closing, it became an Ayr-Way and then Target. The section where Value City is located (now closed) was built as CSC Discount Stores along with CSC discount foods as an attached supermarket. Westland Mall also had Westland 4 Cinemas and was very similar to Raceland. A note of interest is the other Grant City store in the area was in Jeffersonville on Highway 62. It is currently a Big Lots. After Grant City closed it sat empty for several years. In 1980 it opened as an Ayr-Way store. After 9 months in business a storm caused the rear part of the store roof to cave in. This was right as Target was buying Ayr-Way. After nine months in business and fixing the roof the store never reopened. Once again it sat empty for several years until Big Lots and several other smaller retailers moved in.
Does anyone have any good info on the old "TOPP'S" department stores that were in Louisville??I remember there was one on the OuterLoop that later became a United Furniture or something. Topps always seemed to have a great record department. What ever happened to them?? Jeff K.
Wow, my memory isn't nearly as good as the rest of you! lol
I grew up in the 70's/80's and lived closest to Jefferson Mall but made occasional trips to some others. One memory from Bashford Manor that I have was meeting Presto the Magic Clown and getting his autograph. I guess he had done an appearance there and a friend of mine and I were shopping (we were in high school by this time, but still fans!) and saw him sitting center court.
And I use to go to the elementary school by Jefferson Mall and every Friday my grandmother who lived with us would shop there and she would walk over and sign me out about an hour early (which thrilled me because that got me out of gym class which I HATED) and we'd walk back to the mall, finish her shopping and I'd get a "pizza dog" and pina colada drink at Orange Julius.
Thanks for this great trip down memory lane!
Tammy
Trying to remember the original restaurant in Bashford Manor Mall located on the corner where Chi-Chi's ended up. Some say it was Blue Boar, others say it was a sit down restaurant. Any memories?
TOPPs had two Louisville locations that I remember, on Outer Loop and in Hikes Point. The Hike Point store burned down. I think TOPPS ultimately was bought out by somebody. I worked at Stewart's Dry Goods for ten years at the Mall in St. Matthews and at Alladins Castle in Raceland Mall.
@Jordan: The original restaurant at Bashford Manor where Chi Chi's ended up WAS Blue boar.
@ unbolted harp: Family Fair was the first store occupying the Topps location. After Topps closed, the store became individual vendor space. It burned sometime in the late 70s.
WOULD LOVE TO HEAR BACK FROM ANYONE WHO REMEMBERS BASHFORD MANOR MALL BACK IN THE LATE 70'S TO EARLY 80'S THAT MAY REMEMBER THE NAME OF THE STORE THAT SAT OUTSIDE THE TARGET ENTRANCE INTO THE MALL , THAT LOOKED LIKE A PAIR OF BLUE JEANS ANS IT HAD A FORTUNE TELLERS BOOTH IN THE CENTER OF THE ENTANCE...CAN CONTACT ME AT JAYDASNONNIE@YAHOO.COM THANKS
WOULD LOVE TO HEAR BACK FROM ANYONE WHO REMEMBERS BASHFORD MANOR MALL BACK IN THE LATE 70'S TO EARLY 80'S THAT MAY REMEMBER THE NAME OF THE STORE THAT SAT OUTSIDE THE TARGET ENTRANCE INTO THE MALL , THAT LOOKED LIKE A PAIR OF BLUE JEANS ANS IT HAD A FORTUNE TELLERS BOOTH IN THE CENTER OF THE ENTANCE...CAN CONTACT ME AT JAYDASNONNIE@YAHOO.COM THANKS
trying to figure out all of the shops that were in bashford manor
mall when I was growing up in the late 70's and early 80's.
I can remember target, rax roast beef, allied sporting goods, past pets , hickory farms , something to do, walgreens resturant, orange julies, aladins castle. there was a record store and some others that I can't think of. Please help.
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Thanks for all posts
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John W. Waits was the name of the contractor who developed Westland and Raceland Malls. During the long, long period where the malls sat unfinished, a friend and I joked "As the world goes on, J. W. waits." It was a haphazard mess, Westland Mall. Though there was plenty of land in front and behind, the 'architects' designed a trapezoidal hallway to Consolidated that narrowed to only about twelve feet. I'm frankly astonished it's still there in any form. Before it was built, it was a failed subdivision. Only about six houses were built out of a potential 60 or 70, and those were de-bricked and moved. Prior to that, a drive-in was supposed to have been built there, but a petition was circulated and it was built in Valley Station instead, several miles south. Some of you who remember Westland Mall might remember Valley Auto Theatre, which in the 70s made the news when the ticket seller was kidnapped, murdered and buried in Otter Creek State Park.
Both malls were done on the cheap. I remember a sort of head shop, a fabric store, the Westland Four Cinemas and not much else. The floors were unfinished cement. If you go there today, you'll see that the Target has never been remodeled from the original Grant City design.
I understand the CSC (Consolidated Sales Corporation) did not go out of business per se, but evolved into Big Lots. The grocery store at Consolidated had a forerunner of the ATM. You put in your code to withdraw cash, but a desk clerk had to put through the transaction. That was about 1970. The Consolidated store opened years before the mall.
Another shopping center in the area with a much more interesting history is Algonquin Manor. It was built by the owners of Dixie Manor (a few miles from Westland Mall) around 1961 and was somewhat more lavish, with a massive bowling alley with lanes running down both sides (one walked in the middle). One of the anchors was the first major discount department store in the area called Family Fair. For years I could find out no information about it -- at last I learned it was owned by Interstate Department Stores, who owned White Front (west coast) and Topps. One day, around 1965, there was a gas leak in Family Fair and it blew up. Nothing was ever built in its place because by then Algonquin Manor was a total failure. It's now a large storage facility.
I do have two pictures of the exterior of Westland Mall I can send you if you like. They're not great, but you can get an idea of what it looked like.
Here is the link to my blog where I just posted two rather terrible pictures of the exterior of the infamous Westland Mall. http://scottsantoro.blogspot.com/2010/12/santas-rocket-sleigh.html
I used to work at raceland mall. The resturant was morrisons cafeteria, and the arcade was alladins castle. There was a toy store and a bar in the back. I remember the maintenance guy-barney schultz and the bartender-normal. I am currently searching for jess Arnold who ran the arcade. Any info?
Bashford Manor was originally a horse farm, in fact it produced a Derby winner and its carriage house I believe still stands as well as one of the homes that was orginally on the estate it can be accessed from Newburg Road
Oh I'm so glad you posted this! I grew up in Louisville in the late 70's and early 80's and I remember Farrell's ice cream parlour and I remember Bashford manor mall having sitting areas with TV's for all the bored dads and old men! Thanks for the memories!
What a pleasure to stumble across this site. My father was the manager of Bashford Manor Mall from when it opened through the mid 1980s. After Dad left Bashford Manor, the mall decayed terribly and fell finally - seeing its demise brought home to me how skilled dad was at getting the place to thrive.
This site brings back memories of dad. And it's my birthday today, so the memories feel like an extra present from dad, who died nearly three years ago.
A few more memories to add to your site, memories from an insider: the 40 Horse Hitch: one man controlled 40 horses; the horses were Belgian draft horses, the largest in the world. The stuntman for Darth Vader visited the mall; he'd pick up a kid by the neck for a photo. My step sister and I dressed as mice, welcoming Santa. A tethered hot air balloon in the parking lot: you could go for a ride up to about 100 feet up. Anti-foaming agent in the fountains. Antique car shows.
… but never a "beautiful baby" contest. Dad contended that such a contest would result in one happy mother and 99 who felt aggrieved, so he wouldn't do it.
The Family Fair store in Algonquin Manor could not have blown up in 1965, because I wrote in my diary about going to that store and buying a Liddle Kiddle doll (actually a knock-off) there on April 10, 1967. The gas leak explosion had to have happened after that date. (Also went to McDonald's afterward and characterized it as "a good day."
Nobody on here has mentioned anything about the Biggs Middletown Station Mall. It was at the current location of the Walmart on Shelbyville Rd in Middletown.
I don't know when it first opened but I do know that the first time I went there was late fall or early summer of 1990.
It only had 1 anchor which was a BIGGS hyperstore which was just like a Walmart Supercenter.
It had 2 entrances both facing the parking lot toward Shelbyville Rd. They both opened into curved walkways that met in the middle at the entrance into BIGGS. Across from the BIGGS store was a small food court. The walkways formed a horseshoe shaped hallway with specialty shops on the sides.
I remember there was a Lens Crafter, a shoe repair shop, a Claire's & a Learners. I am not sure about this but I think there was an arcade & a jewelry store.
I remember 1 year & it was the only year they had a Chow Wagon in the parking lot during the Derby events. I don't know if it was an official 1 operated by the same people as the ones on the river front & The Belvedere though.
Park Place Mall has always been a retail center. The only thing that could be considered "a lifestyle center" was at one point, there was a full service gym/health center with weights, overhead running track, a large indoor pool, whirlpool for 20+ people, large sauna, shower facilities. The business changed hands several times before closing all together in the early 80's
As a impressionable 18 yr old, overweight "kid", a friend and I went in with their "free day" coupon and left with a years binding, non-transferable contract for a membership that cost several hundred dollars per year from a high pressue buff salesman that preyed upon my insecurities..but not a good decision for a part-time, minimum wage worker straight out of high school!!
it was an expensive and well learned lesson.. LOL!!!
The mall had since been turned into a "strip mall" and has been renovated many times.
The original anchor store for the Westland (now Park Place) mall was a CSC-(Consolidated Sales Company)
Karen, what was the name of the bar in the back of Raceland Mall?
The Westland Mall anchors were CSC and Ayr-Way which later was taken over by Target.
Actually, regarding Raceland Mall, before the anchor was a Britt's (which I worked in briefly while in high school), it was a W.T. Grant's (then just 'Grant's). There was an outbuilding IGA grocery at the lower end of the parking lot there at Bardstown Rd. and Fegenbush Lane.
Trying to remember the name of the restaurant at Oxmoor Mall in the 80s next to Sears. It was across from Burger King.
Sweetie my grandfather was co owner of tgat former aladdins castle. I have most of the former games that were in it in my basement here in crecent hill. 35 of them to be exact including galaga
I don't have any photos, but I can provide the names of all the places you mentioned. The Barnes and Noble with the green roof is Lexington Green. It's close to Fayette Mall which is the only survivor in this story. Lexington Mall on Richmond Rd is a church now. Victorian Square was downtown across from Rupp Arena and had a working carousel in it. You left out Turfland Mall on Harrodsburg Rd. The sign still stands, but it's a Home Depot now.
We moved to the Norfolk neighborhood - off Fegenbush Lane around 1983. I remember Raceland Mall - they had a music store, an arcade, and 123 cinemas. I believe there was a Radio Shack too. There was also BUY LOWS Grocery store (aka BUY HIGH) and a C.S.C. that later became PACE. One Christmas or January we saw Gremlins at the 123 Cinemas but I was too scared, so we ended up watching another movie instead. I want to say E.T. The neighborhood was shady for many reasons, there were racists, predators, addicts. Many of us were unsupervised, because of the rule; when it gets dark come home! It was as if we were all already adults. It was one of the affordable places to live that wasn't a housing project. Lots of single low-income families lived behind Raceland, we were practically all latch-key kids. I did get an allowance of 20.00 a month. I would walk to Raceland and I would spend all day trying to decide what new music I wanted to buy from the music store. Once I got a piano, I would spend hours trying to find the right sheet music to purchase. I am glad I found this page. It's been nice to reflect on my emerging adolescence.
Bottom half?
Wasn’t that The Warehouse? I remember a rustic bar-restaurant on the north side of Bashford Manor fronting Bardstown Rd in the 70s.
What was the name of that grocery store there?
Yes, the Warehouse was there before Chi-Chi’s
Currently, off Blankenbaker Rd, more specifically on Kentucky Mills Rd, in the Bluegrass Industrial Park, there is a business called "At Home." That building used to be a mall back in the 80's. As far as I can tell the name of that mall is lost to history. Anyone remember the name?
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