Stonestown Shopping Center (aka Stonestown Galleria)
San Francisco, California - circa 1950s
A very moody old newspaper photograph of the Stonestown Shopping Center (now Stonestown Galleria) back in its 1950s heyday. Once again, there's that distinctive Emporium store facade design looming high over the mall, which can also be seen more clearly in one of my past entries on this classic San Francisco shopping center. A few Wikipedia notes on its early years:
"Stonestown Galleria, originally Stonestown Shopping Center was built in 1952, by the Stoneson brothers. It was built in the Lake Merced neighborhood along with apartments that could house 3,000-3,500 people. The major tenant, the Emporium department store, opened on July 16, 1952. Other early businesses included Walgreens, Butler Brothers, Gallenkamp Shoes, the Red Chimney restaurant and Woolworth's. There were also stores for local residents, including a grocery store, a bakery, and movie theaters. The Stoneson brothers' development firm was also responsible for the later Stoneridge Shopping Center and Lakeside Village."Thanks for this image find goes (once again) to, Brian Neuroth, for spotting it in this great Flickr collection!
Mall history: 1952 - present
Developer: Stoneson Development Corp.
Current website: here
Current aerial view
Reference links: 1, 2
Info from Wikipedia
Previous entries: 1, 2, 3
Labels: '50s, 1950s, california, San Francisco, Stonestown
posted by Keith @ 8/01/2007
4 Comments:
Mall in the mist, complete with ferris wheel.
Ha ha, good one.
By the looks of the picture, it must have been taken in June, our famous "June Gloom."
Scott
The rides on the roof would indicate that this was taken at Christmastime. Both the downtown and Stonestown stores had the roof rides each Christmas. Sadly, in a 1969 remodel, the outdoor patio was enclosed, and a second set of escalators was added to the Stonestown store. The downtown store continued to have roof rides every Christmas until the store closure in 1995
Paul,
The roof-top carnival was the work of William H. Meyer, who began putting one up at the downtown San Francisco Emporium in 1947. It was so successful during the holidays, he later signed a five year contract with the "big E".
In 1956, William H. Meyer Amusement CO set one up on a Macy's Department store roof at San Jose's Valley Fair for two seasons. He also ran a larger amusement park at San Leandro's Bay Fair center, but at mall level, lasting into the 1960s.
Unfortunately, not much about him can be found, but definitely deserves his place in amusement park history. In the 1940s, his company rented out rides to some Hollywood film productions.
According to a 1960 Billboard publication, San Jose's Frontier Village amusement park appointed a William H. Meyer as general manager, but yet to confirm it was the same fellow.
Mike Carroll
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