Vintage photos of lost Shopping Malls of the '50s, '60s & '70s
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Santa at the Valley Fair Shopping Center
Appleton, Wisconsin - November, 1967
Santa Claus arrives at the Valley Fair Shopping Center, where "a Galaxy of 'twinkling lights' spell out the magic of Christmas 1967." Vintage holiday newspaper ad.
I got the chance to visit Valley Fair a few times. This mall is now closed and is supposed to be torn down soon, if that hasn't begun already.
It was originally anchored by WT Grant's and Krambo Foods supermarket, along with other major names like Woolworth's.
The mall started business in August 1954, but wasn't fully complete until 1955.
It got its first (and only) expansion in 1978 after a two-year break without an anchor to fill the former Grant's store. The mall was extended into this space and a new Kohl's was built out as the new east anchor.
It's too bad I was dumb back in 1993 in my first visit and didn't take pics. There were some really old late-1970s storefronts among the bunch for Hallmark, RadioShack, The Right Price, and Braun's (now Christopher & Banks / CJ Banks).
Now I won't get anything with the mall shuttered to the public. A non-profit group, Youth Futures, tried to save the place, but the maintenance costs were just too great, especially for the old 1950s portion of the center. The teardown will involve most of the existing mall. Only the mall expansion and Kohl's old building will remain, as well as the 6-screen cineplex that is at the rear of the property. Those were 1970s additions and have both been bought up to code in recent years.
Hello Just think; Greta Van Susteren must've walked through there when she was younger. Unless she moved out of Appleton way before the mall's existence. KT
Appleton, Wisconsin - November, 1967
Nice job putting Valley Fair next to Southdale. Southdale claims to be the first enclosed mall, but Valley Fair beat them out by three years.
ReplyDeleteLU97
Beautiful ad!
ReplyDeleteI got the chance to visit Valley Fair a few times. This mall is now closed and is supposed to be torn down soon, if that hasn't begun already.
ReplyDeleteIt was originally anchored by WT Grant's and Krambo Foods supermarket, along with other major names like Woolworth's.
The mall started business in August 1954, but wasn't fully complete until 1955.
It got its first (and only) expansion in 1978 after a two-year break without an anchor to fill the former Grant's store. The mall was extended into this space and a new Kohl's was built out as the new east anchor.
It's too bad I was dumb back in 1993 in my first visit and didn't take pics. There were some really old late-1970s storefronts among the bunch for Hallmark, RadioShack, The Right Price, and Braun's (now Christopher & Banks / CJ Banks).
Now I won't get anything with the mall shuttered to the public. A non-profit group, Youth Futures, tried to save the place, but the maintenance costs were just too great, especially for the old 1950s portion of the center. The teardown will involve most of the existing mall. Only the mall expansion and Kohl's old building will remain, as well as the 6-screen cineplex that is at the rear of the property. Those were 1970s additions and have both been bought up to code in recent years.
This is so sad. You'd think there would be better treatment for the first enclosed mall than a tear down.
ReplyDeleteHello
ReplyDeleteJust think; Greta Van Susteren must've walked through there when she was younger. Unless she moved out of Appleton way before the mall's existence.
KT
Keith:
ReplyDeletePlease contact me regarding an ICSC event this summer in Michigan.