When I was a kid...this was the place to be. There was an Arcade, a Video Store, a Heck's Dept store (then K-Mart), a Hallmark Store, a Stone & Thomas, and a movie theater. There was a pizza joint on the far side that would rival Chuck-E-Cheese called "Pepperoni's Playhouse" which later became "Zaps". I still live in the area and it's depressing seeing what was once a booming place, now just a shell sitting on top of the hill.
This was so alive at one time. Our little mall once was a happening place. Now it's just depressing. A turkey farm has taken over the Kmart side and a junky flea market was last in the Stone and Thomas Store. This makes me want to cry.
I grew up going to this mall in the 80's and 90's. The area near the theater exit was a pizzeria/arcade called Zaps in the the late 80's. The storefront on the opposite side of the mall had a video rental at one time. There was a small post office at the main entrance. On the side of the mall towards the main highway, the was a shoe store (Shoe Show, maybe?) and a Hallmark
What a treasure!! That aesthetic is absolutely charming. It’s still beautiful, but I imagine stunning back in the ‘70s and early ‘80s. Great video as always.
Wow, what a find! That's one of the most distinctly charming spaces I've seen in awhile. Those little hole in the wall, rural malls are such a treat, so much more personality than the big regional malls. Love the wood, the street lamps. And I agree with you that the mall aesthetic in the 70s was the alien future will also be homely, warm, inviting, ironically. It's not as much of a contradiction as it first appears. The store fronts remind me a little of one of the malls in OKC.
wow, this video made me so nostalgic. I remember going to this mall all the time when I was a child. There used to be a hibbits, a few salons, and I remember when alfredos (the Italian restaurant) was a bar. I also remember going to the movie theatre before grassroots renovated the place. Once the new theatre in Lewisburg went up, that theatre went out of business. The one in downtown Lewisburg is still used primarily for performing arts and occasional movies. I even remember going to the Kmart. Rumor has it'll be renovated into a farm supply store. I also remember performing my 4th-grade recorder recital in that mall lol. I visited Lewisburg a week ago and was sad to see how empty the mall looked now. Thank you so much for adding additional research to your video! Your commentary gave it a new life, and I hope they decide to do something new with the empty spaces.
@@lilj4818 Oh thats great to hear! When I went back in May, Kmart was still closed down. Have they started renovations for the turkey farm yet, or is there a projected opening date?
Nice one, Kristin. Sometimes the small malls get overlooked but they can have the best finds inside. This one is definitely different! Really feel the 70’s vibe. I’m a “mall-child” of that era, so this one really takes me back…
Hi glad to see another Unicomm video! This is one of the saddest malls I've seen, I cant imagine how the builders expected to turn a profit back then. Then again '79 was another era and WV another world. Keep up the great video's :)
It’s in a weird location. All of the commercial development is right next to the highway and this mall is on the opposite side of the town proper from the highway. It’s on the way to very little. Super picturesque, but it’s basically in the middle of a field.
@@UniCommProductions The majority of the development near the interstate didn't exist when this mall was built. When Wal-mart opened in the mid-90's, other national chain retailers, hotels, and restaurants grew up around it. Prior to that, we only had Kmart and smaller regional department stores like Stone & Thomas, Leggett's, and Aide's scattered along 219, which is a major thoroughfare for people who live locally. Many people travel to Lewisburg from nearby small towns and surrounding rural areas to shop for basics, so they aren't necessarily arriving via the interstate. Tourists tended to shop at the small boutiques in downtown Lewisburg, like they still do today.
Thank you! I’ve been doing a lot of these little guy malls that are off the beaten path lately (I live in WV) and they’re all so unique in their own way.
Amazing video Kristin and wow that is one cool mall! I really hope that despite the slim chance of any sort of revival, they find a way to keep this amazing architecture in use!😸
Hi! Are you local to the area? As someone who is the main reason the mall is in such a sad state is the owner. The rent increased like crazy, and most of the stores moved out of there and further down the road toward Lewisburg. Unfortunately Lewisburg has the benefit of being near the interstate, which also drove business elsewhere. Another key factor was Kmart going out of business. Again the rent was too high and our small government plus Walmart kept Target from putting in a store there as was rumored. The movie theater used to be busy too, but another one got put in and the old one, which hadn’t been updated in decades and reeked of pee closed down around 2012.
Amazing. I've never seen a mall that looks like a house inside. Too bad that wasn't a more common thing. I love the chandeliers. Malls with drop ceilings are usually bottom tier/cheaply built but what they did with the drop ceiling here is awesome, they basically gave it the geometric character of a hard ceiling like in a Taubman mall. Unique use of materials and architects using their brain.
Lewisburg is actually growing, which is sad that this mall is like this. The architecture is awesome. They could turn this mall into offices or mom and pop shops.
I hope some new businesses get added! I visited Lewisburg for the first time in 5 yrs and was sad to see how empty the mall was. It was nothing like I remembered it :(
I helped paint this mall before it opened and then worked for Stone and Thomas. My best friend ran the movie theater and we grew up here. Make me sad to see what it has become as it was the place to be during it’s hay day. A last all things must change.
Really cool mall. So, Upper Valley Mall in Springfield, Ohio, is still standing, but the community still isnt sure exactly what is going to happen. I tell many people about your video of our little mall.
@@UniCommProductions not really...at least not anything we can see from the outside. Rumor is it us going to be a sports pkex kinda thing, but little movement. Story time: my dad's parents lived just nirth if the mall. If you are at the Sears end, and looking north, their house was maybe 100 yards away. They had boxers. One of their boxers ysed to walk into Sears thru the automatic doors to visit the employees. I remember when the mall was built. It had been corn fields. My aunt worked until she retired from JC Penny's. It was always a place i loved to go. In its early days, it was amazing. If i hear anything, ill try to get some pictures.
This is our big mall when I was young, still live in the area, from what I’m told they r looking hard for business to come in, it once was packed full but old owner charged a lot, didn’t help a lot of the businesses went under too, from the rumors going around, it has passed ownership several times since K-mart went under, locals are eager for other businesses to come. I could tell ya all the stores in it at least from 80s on! The shingles was added later after original build, it was much more 80s/ 90s feel before!
How the hell did a contractor make all those geometric ceilings with a drop tile grid? It looks perfect but maintaining it when there is a drip or stain must be horrible.
Some very cheesy 1970s bicentennial vibes at this one. The drop ceiling subcontractor had the job of a lifetime here. Yes it's seen better days, but credit to the maintenance staff for maintaining excellent polish on the floors. It sort of reminds me of my dear departed Deerbrook Mall in Chicagoland (I don't think this is the first time I've mentioned it), which had the ersatz Main Street aesthetic, but with more brick, and it was wrapped in a late 60s early 70s Miesian minimalist modern container. It's an interesting contrast to the kitschy wood shakes/shingles and almost flamboyantly futuristic styling of the ceiling at Greenbrier Valley, which looks like an alien spaceship hovering over a quaint (Potemkin) village. Definitely not a subtle juxtaposition of stylistic archetypes. The old movie theater entrance that greets patrons with a stroll past dumpsters, grease bins, an electrical transformer, emergency exits, ventilation grilles, propane tanks, an unkempt grass/gravel square of sadness, what looks like it used to be a loading dock with an added asphalt ramp to prevent tripping, and a random PVC pipe sticking out of the ground for good measure, is delightful, even if it is a rear entrance that was really only meant to be an access to the movie theater. It looks suitably rapey too. Bravo.
I spent a lot of time at that little mall in the 90's, mostly going to see movies with my friends on weekends, shopping at Stone & Thomas with my mom, and sneaking onto the balcony to make out with my boyfriend. One memory I have of that place was witnessing a truly epic fight. I heard screaming in the center of the mall, so I ran out of the store I was in and discovered two grown women with children in tow fighting and pulling each other's hair. One was completely drenched in blood. She was bleeding so much that it had pooled all over the floor and I couldn't fathom how she was even conscious. I was absolutely horrified until I came to the realization that it wasn't blood at all. Turns out that the other woman had just purchased a large glass bottle of Heinz ketchup at Kmart and had smashed it over her head in a fit of rage! The incident was swiftly broken up by mall security and everyone just went about their day like no biggie.
😂 One of those ladies was my aunt and the other was her ex husbands new wife. 🤦🏼♀️ That fight was in the Hallmark store that used to be there. Wow! You just brought back some crazy memories. She has since passed away 😞 That mall has a million memories ❤
@@melodyfitzgerald1661 Hahaha what a small world! I was truly in fear for her life and then it instantly flipped into something pretty hilarious. So sorry to hear about your Aunt's passing. She lives on in one of my most absurd childhood memories!
@@alloy1028 God, almighty. The shit that went down in that town and the characters in it. I remember the guy that used to drag the huge wooden crucifix next to the road in front of the mall... Back and forth from the One-Way Cafe to whatever the Chinese place used to be. And let us never forget The Purple Nun.
Buenas Noches, Kristin!!! Sorry that I wasn't there for the live cast (was at my neighborhood supermarket and it took me more to come back home). DON'T WORRY, I'M STILL SUBSCRIBED y I still watch ALL of your videos. Hope that you're OK, seriously. Kristin, when you've mentioned Bealls as part of the Goodman's store development in that mall I thought the chain I knew in Florida (mostly off-price stores, like Ross or TJ Maxx / Marshalls) would be defunct. Actually there were 2 Bealls* chains, not related between them. The one that ultimately owned Goodman's was the one founded in Texas (both it and Goodman's, named Stage Stores). When Stage went Chapter 11 in 2020 the Florida-based Bealls (known as Burke's in those states both companies existed) bought all of the names from Stage, including the national use of the Bealls name. (that was in case someone in the audience found the Bealls name familiar) * last name of the founders
Back in the late 1980's Cincinnati had a mall similar to this. I can't remember which one. Maybe Eastwood? I was a trouble shooting manager for Paul Harris. Had to travel between Dayton/Columbus and Cincinnati.
I’d love to know which one it was! I don’t think it was Eastgate-I spent a lot of time there as a child and it was a lot of pebbled stone walls and terrazzo floors
Stone & Thomas was a wonderful WV based department store chain that brought "big city" merchandise to small communities. What a loss! Peebles was a small city department store with mid to better lines. Their decision to convert to the unfamiliar, unproved Gordman's format was their fatal mistake.
With Gordmans I don’t think most people realized they are the same company. A lot of the towns they were located in also already had something like Burke’s or Gabe’s so they didn’t need close outs; they need a slightly nicer store than Walmart to buy things like dress clothes and stuff to wear to work. Whoever made that decision at Stage Stores really messed up IMO.
Not yet, but my Google Alerts are at the ready. The lessee seems to be a poultry company but I’m not sure if they’re using it for offices or actually raising birds.
I think these malls like this should just lean into the 1970s aesthetic and be a tourist trap...play music that is just so 1970s, put up old logos, etc.
There’s definitely something that could be done with it-Lewisburg is full of charming little shops, if they made the rent low enough it could be a great “small business incubator”, which the best small town malls I visit are doing exactly that. People feel good about supporting their neighbors.
@@UniCommProductionsthat’s what I’ve been thinking about these malls. Small boutiques, business incubators, after school programs, dance classes. Just converting it to community use and need. Otherwise it’s just going to be rundown, rot, and vandalized.
It's always been a dead mall even 30 years ago it was dead. Only the theater stayed busy on the weekends. The mall itself only had 2 maybe 3 stores in the 90's and a salon and you could walk through the mall to get to the theater and Kmart used to have a little place to eat and you could walk from Kmart into the mall. But it's all different but still dead
Ok… here’s the list of what this place should always have… DMV Dentist office Eyeglass place Used book store Hot dog cart only open 3 hours per day Lawyer Accountant Shoe repair Alterations Police community substation Military recruitment Barber Salon What else???? So fascinated!
AGREED 100%! Lewisburg seems to be gaining some traction as a touristy, couple’s weekend sort of spot, and I think you could make this place work with a few well-chosen tenants. (I THINK there may have been a military recruiter in the open-air section but I’m not positive).
I remember when that was "farm land and had small ponies grazing on it. Then the bright idea of building an addition to be a concrete jungle and look at it now....TSK TSK....humans ugh.
I feel like the place they chose to build it was an odd one. It’s actually really far from I-64 which means that you don’t have a lot of people finding it by accident
Gorgeous building. It's so frustrating to see unique architecture go to waste. There was one small rural mall similar to this near Auburn, NY that once had facades inside that made it look like a city street marketplace. The storefronts were done up to look like they were outside, etc. This reminded me of that.
When I was a kid...this was the place to be.
There was an Arcade, a Video Store, a Heck's Dept store (then K-Mart), a Hallmark Store, a Stone & Thomas, and a movie theater.
There was a pizza joint on the far side that would rival Chuck-E-Cheese called "Pepperoni's Playhouse" which later became "Zaps".
I still live in the area and it's depressing seeing what was once a booming place, now just a shell sitting on top of the hill.
This was so alive at one time. Our little mall once was a happening place. Now it's just depressing. A turkey farm has taken over the Kmart side and a junky flea market was last in the Stone and Thomas Store. This makes me want to cry.
I grew up going to this mall in the 80's and 90's. The area near the theater exit was a pizzeria/arcade called Zaps in the the late 80's. The storefront on the opposite side of the mall had a video rental at one time.
There was a small post office at the main entrance. On the side of the mall towards the main highway, the was a shoe store (Shoe Show, maybe?) and a Hallmark
Zaps brings back memories
What a treasure!! That aesthetic is absolutely charming. It’s still beautiful, but I imagine stunning back in the ‘70s and early ‘80s. Great video as always.
Outdoor for indoor is just the best! Especially with gas lantern style street lamps!
Wow, what a find! That's one of the most distinctly charming spaces I've seen in awhile. Those little hole in the wall, rural malls are such a treat, so much more personality than the big regional malls. Love the wood, the street lamps. And I agree with you that the mall aesthetic in the 70s was the alien future will also be homely, warm, inviting, ironically. It's not as much of a contradiction as it first appears. The store fronts remind me a little of one of the malls in OKC.
I love these small out of the way malls…for the reasons you stated! It’s like finding a treasure.
It looks like a indoor boutique shop and professional office building. Fn awesome!!!
The brick, wood and coach lights are perfection. Chef's kiss to capturing it beautifully, Kristin!
wow, this video made me so nostalgic. I remember going to this mall all the time when I was a child. There used to be a hibbits, a few salons, and I remember when alfredos (the Italian restaurant) was a bar. I also remember going to the movie theatre before grassroots renovated the place. Once the new theatre in Lewisburg went up, that theatre went out of business. The one in downtown Lewisburg is still used primarily for performing arts and occasional movies. I even remember going to the Kmart. Rumor has it'll be renovated into a farm supply store. I also remember performing my 4th-grade recorder recital in that mall lol. I visited Lewisburg a week ago and was sad to see how empty the mall looked now. Thank you so much for adding additional research to your video! Your commentary gave it a new life, and I hope they decide to do something new with the empty spaces.
The turkey farm bought Kmart a few years ago to raise turkeys in.
@@lilj4818 Oh thats great to hear! When I went back in May, Kmart was still closed down. Have they started renovations for the turkey farm yet, or is there a projected opening date?
This is awesome. i'd actually WANT to shop in there.... glad to see another video from you.
I worked at this mall back in 2004. Wasn't an empty spot in the entire building. Sad to see it get to this.
There also use to be a fairly good Mexican restaurant on that property as well.
what a nice mall - glad you documented it....♥
Nice one, Kristin. Sometimes the small malls get overlooked but they can have the best finds inside. This one is definitely different! Really feel the 70’s vibe. I’m a “mall-child” of that era, so this one really takes me back…
I was really taken with this one-the chandelier in the entryway just did it for me!
Great production as always.
I live in WV and I've never been to this mall but it looks really cool
Always love watching your videos so chill with the camera work and music.
Hi glad to see another Unicomm video! This is one of the saddest malls I've seen, I cant imagine how the builders expected to turn a profit back then. Then again '79 was another era and WV another world. Keep up the great video's :)
It’s in a weird location. All of the commercial development is right next to the highway and this mall is on the opposite side of the town proper from the highway. It’s on the way to very little. Super picturesque, but it’s basically in the middle of a field.
@@UniCommProductions "mandolins in space"
@@UniCommProductions The majority of the development near the interstate didn't exist when this mall was built. When Wal-mart opened in the mid-90's, other national chain retailers, hotels, and restaurants grew up around it. Prior to that, we only had Kmart and smaller regional department stores like Stone & Thomas, Leggett's, and Aide's scattered along 219, which is a major thoroughfare for people who live locally. Many people travel to Lewisburg from nearby small towns and surrounding rural areas to shop for basics, so they aren't necessarily arriving via the interstate. Tourists tended to shop at the small boutiques in downtown Lewisburg, like they still do today.
What a gorgeous little place! Always cool to see a unique mall.
Ok I had to check this out. I'm glad you mentioned this in your Three Star Mall visit. Excellent work!!. You made my morning a little less mundane❤️
Thank you! I’ve been doing a lot of these little guy malls that are off the beaten path lately (I live in WV) and they’re all so unique in their own way.
What a cool mall! Dare I say you are the first to showcase it?!?! I’ve watched many dead malls videos, and this one was a first!
I love this mall and small town malls. There is definitely a charm to them. I am addicted to your videos guys!
Such a gorgeous place with a ton of memories!
Ah, the mall church. A classic sign your mall is probably dead...
Exactly!!
Ours had a church and for some reason it came back
Amazing video Kristin and wow that is one cool mall! I really hope that despite the slim chance of any sort of revival, they find a way to keep this amazing architecture in use!😸
Great video, gorgeous mall!! Thank you 😊
I love '70s malls like this one; I'm a sucker for wood and geometric shapes.
Amazing video guys!! It’s always nice to see some unique more local malls.
I wish every mall looked like this! It's so beautiful to me
There was a time when a lot of them did! :) I agree this just feels so much more welcoming than the sterile white boxes so many of them have become.
Great to hear your lovely voice again. Missed you.
Hi! Are you local to the area? As someone who is the main reason the mall is in such a sad state is the owner. The rent increased like crazy, and most of the stores moved out of there and further down the road toward Lewisburg.
Unfortunately Lewisburg has the benefit of being near the interstate, which also drove business elsewhere.
Another key factor was Kmart going out of business. Again the rent was too high and our small government plus Walmart kept Target from putting in a store there as was rumored.
The movie theater used to be busy too, but another one got put in and the old one, which hadn’t been updated in decades and reeked of pee closed down around 2012.
Amazing. I've never seen a mall that looks like a house inside. Too bad that wasn't a more common thing. I love the chandeliers. Malls with drop ceilings are usually bottom tier/cheaply built but what they did with the drop ceiling here is awesome, they basically gave it the geometric character of a hard ceiling like in a Taubman mall. Unique use of materials and architects using their brain.
Would make a great spot for alternative housing, maker spaces and such. Small shops etc.
I think a maker space is a great idea, or for housing…I would think the retro cozy look would be great for seniors.
Lewisburg is actually growing, which is sad that this mall is like this. The architecture is awesome. They could turn this mall into offices or mom and pop shops.
It would be a shame for it to stay empty-especially if new people are moving to town
I hope some new businesses get added! I visited Lewisburg for the first time in 5 yrs and was sad to see how empty the mall was. It was nothing like I remembered it :(
Most places can’t afford it. The guy that owns it charges twice as much as the spaces in Lewisburg from what I hear.
Very cool video! Interesting design elements.
I'm not sure I've seen a mall with that much wood ever. 😁
Kinda looks like a big 70s ranch house with all the brick and wood paneling.
Pretty nice mall very unique I would love to visit this mall I hope they can keep this one
I helped paint this mall before it opened and then worked for Stone and Thomas. My best friend ran the movie theater and we grew up here. Make me sad to see what it has become as it was the place to be during it’s hay day. A last all things must change.
oppressively nostalgic
Really cool mall.
So, Upper Valley Mall in Springfield, Ohio, is still standing, but the community still isnt sure exactly what is going to happen. I tell many people about your video of our little mall.
I love that mall. The last news I heard was that it had been painted, have they not done anything else?
@@UniCommProductions not really...at least not anything we can see from the outside. Rumor is it us going to be a sports pkex kinda thing, but little movement.
Story time: my dad's parents lived just nirth if the mall. If you are at the Sears end, and looking north, their house was maybe 100 yards away. They had boxers. One of their boxers ysed to walk into Sears thru the automatic doors to visit the employees.
I remember when the mall was built. It had been corn fields. My aunt worked until she retired from JC Penny's. It was always a place i loved to go. In its early days, it was amazing.
If i hear anything, ill try to get some pictures.
Thanks!
No thank YOU!
Such a unique aesthetic
This is our big mall when I was young, still live in the area, from what I’m told they r looking hard for business to come in, it once was packed full but old owner charged a lot, didn’t help a lot of the businesses went under too, from the rumors going around, it has passed ownership several times since K-mart went under, locals are eager for other businesses to come.
I could tell ya all the stores in it at least from 80s on!
The shingles was added later after original build, it was much more 80s/ 90s feel before!
This is a great find! I'd describe the decor as hillbilly futurism.
That’s definitely an accurate description
How the hell did a contractor make all those geometric ceilings with a drop tile grid? It looks perfect but maintaining it when there is a drip or stain must be horrible.
It is in remarkably good shape all things considered. There’s definitely a level of craftsmanship there that you don’t often see these days.
Some very cheesy 1970s bicentennial vibes at this one. The drop ceiling subcontractor had the job of a lifetime here. Yes it's seen better days, but credit to the maintenance staff for maintaining excellent polish on the floors. It sort of reminds me of my dear departed Deerbrook Mall in Chicagoland (I don't think this is the first time I've mentioned it), which had the ersatz Main Street aesthetic, but with more brick, and it was wrapped in a late 60s early 70s Miesian minimalist modern container. It's an interesting contrast to the kitschy wood shakes/shingles and almost flamboyantly futuristic styling of the ceiling at Greenbrier Valley, which looks like an alien spaceship hovering over a quaint (Potemkin) village. Definitely not a subtle juxtaposition of stylistic archetypes.
The old movie theater entrance that greets patrons with a stroll past dumpsters, grease bins, an electrical transformer, emergency exits, ventilation grilles, propane tanks, an unkempt grass/gravel square of sadness, what looks like it used to be a loading dock with an added asphalt ramp to prevent tripping, and a random PVC pipe sticking out of the ground for good measure, is delightful, even if it is a rear entrance that was really only meant to be an access to the movie theater. It looks suitably rapey too. Bravo.
Another one for the mall playlist
Love the aesthetics!
Interesting idea hexagons and wood🤔
Wow. This place is so charming, makes you wonder what some of those roadside malls you see in rural areas have to offer aesthetically inside!
I’ve visited quite a few of them, and some are more interesting than other
I spent a lot of time at that little mall in the 90's, mostly going to see movies with my friends on weekends, shopping at Stone & Thomas with my mom, and sneaking onto the balcony to make out with my boyfriend.
One memory I have of that place was witnessing a truly epic fight. I heard screaming in the center of the mall, so I ran out of the store I was in and discovered two grown women with children in tow fighting and pulling each other's hair. One was completely drenched in blood. She was bleeding so much that it had pooled all over the floor and I couldn't fathom how she was even conscious.
I was absolutely horrified until I came to the realization that it wasn't blood at all. Turns out that the other woman had just purchased a large glass bottle of Heinz ketchup at Kmart and had smashed it over her head in a fit of rage! The incident was swiftly broken up by mall security and everyone just went about their day like no biggie.
😂 One of those ladies was my aunt and the other was her ex husbands new wife. 🤦🏼♀️ That fight was in the Hallmark store that used to be there. Wow! You just brought back some crazy memories. She has since passed away 😞 That mall has a million memories ❤
@@melodyfitzgerald1661 Hahaha what a small world! I was truly in fear for her life and then it instantly flipped into something pretty hilarious. So sorry to hear about your Aunt's passing. She lives on in one of my most absurd childhood memories!
@@alloy1028 God, almighty. The shit that went down in that town and the characters in it. I remember the guy that used to drag the huge wooden crucifix next to the road in front of the mall... Back and forth from the One-Way Cafe to whatever the Chinese place used to be. And let us never forget The Purple Nun.
ANOTHER COOL VIDEO KRISTIN!!!!!
Buenas Noches, Kristin!!! Sorry that I wasn't there for the live cast (was at my neighborhood supermarket and it took me more to come back home). DON'T WORRY, I'M STILL SUBSCRIBED y I still watch ALL of your videos. Hope that you're OK, seriously.
Kristin, when you've mentioned Bealls as part of the Goodman's store development in that mall I thought the chain I knew in Florida (mostly off-price stores, like Ross or TJ Maxx / Marshalls) would be defunct. Actually there were 2 Bealls* chains, not related between them. The one that ultimately owned Goodman's was the one founded in Texas (both it and Goodman's, named Stage Stores). When Stage went Chapter 11 in 2020 the Florida-based Bealls (known as Burke's in those states both companies existed) bought all of the names from Stage, including the national use of the Bealls name.
(that was in case someone in the audience found the Bealls name familiar)
* last name of the founders
Any word on if the interior of the mall is still open? I’ve seen conflicting reports and didn’t want to make the trip if it was closed!
It’s possible with so few tenants they may be open some days and not others so I would call a business in the mall to verify.
Back in the late 1980's Cincinnati had a mall similar to this. I can't remember which one. Maybe Eastwood? I was a trouble shooting manager for Paul Harris. Had to travel between Dayton/Columbus and Cincinnati.
I’d love to know which one it was! I don’t think it was Eastgate-I spent a lot of time there as a child and it was a lot of pebbled stone walls and terrazzo floors
I stayed in the Greenbrier resort in december 2019 but didnt go here
Did you get a chance to buy one of those turquoise and mauve chairs at the Tri County Mall 2nd floor food court? If not, it's too late now.😥
I was there earlier today and they did not have any of them out…but if they have a fixture auction I am THERE
It's a shame it's a dead mall. It's beautiful.
The background music is beautiful too.
I have eaten at that alfredo's haha
The old Kmart is now the Turkey farm offices.
look like this malls turb intoo offices??
Basically. It’s definitely the spot in town you go to set up an office where the overhead is low-ish
It appears to be in very good shape. That requires money. One has to wonder why the owner would keep investing.
Stone & Thomas was a wonderful WV based department store chain that brought "big city" merchandise to small communities. What a loss! Peebles was a small city department store with mid to better lines. Their decision to convert to the unfamiliar, unproved Gordman's format was their fatal mistake.
With Gordmans I don’t think most people realized they are the same company. A lot of the towns they were located in also already had something like Burke’s or Gabe’s so they didn’t need close outs; they need a slightly nicer store than Walmart to buy things like dress clothes and stuff to wear to work. Whoever made that decision at Stage Stores really messed up IMO.
Any news about the happenings in the old K-MarT space?
Not yet, but my Google Alerts are at the ready. The lessee seems to be a poultry company but I’m not sure if they’re using it for offices or actually raising birds.
It will become offices for Aviagen, who runs turkey farms in the local area
i have been to this mall
live 45 mins north of here
It’s a very scenic area!
Just convert it to shops on lower floor and apartments on upper floor.
That sounds like a great idea. Or even something like AirBnb considering it’s proximity to New River Gorge. Lewisburg is a really charming town!
I expected men.in silk breeches, buckle shoes and powdered wigs to jump out of storefronts and greet you with welcome to Ye Olde Mall lassie!
Great video! Thanks. Doomie Grunt did a video on this mall.
Thank you. I remember seeing his way back in the day and telling myself I needed to get out there!
What a quite unusual place
Stone & Thomas' ending for WV was as hard as Pogue's ending to Cincinnati.
This is a weird mix of strip mall and enclosed mall... The wooden shingles look like a mansard roof!
+10 points for “Mansard roof”
It's a shame thats not the future we got. I really like this place.
It would have been epic! Instead we got shiplap and Live Laugh Love.
That place is begging to be turned into an antique store/flea market.
lewisburg already has a few flea market places, but the mall would be perfect! An antique store could easily be placed in the old Gordmans.
Can public enter this building
Oh most definitely. It’s still an open mall there’s just not much in there
@@UniCommProductions thank you I'm definitely gonna visit it
I think these malls like this should just lean into the 1970s aesthetic and be a tourist trap...play music that is just so 1970s, put up old logos, etc.
There’s definitely something that could be done with it-Lewisburg is full of charming little shops, if they made the rent low enough it could be a great “small business incubator”, which the best small town malls I visit are doing exactly that. People feel good about supporting their neighbors.
@@UniCommProductionsthat’s what I’ve been thinking about these malls. Small boutiques, business incubators, after school programs, dance classes. Just converting it to community use and need. Otherwise it’s just going to be rundown, rot, and vandalized.
Has a sort of "Backrooms, found footage" vibe to it. Except, it's more pleasant and less eerie.
Warm and fuzzy backrooms is kind of my vibe lol. Thank you for watching!
Too bad is closed back in 2020 I miss it I remember gord mans and the rest rooms like Hoffman's opened and it shut down for no reason
I shot this video in 2021?
The 1970s called, they want their mall back lol.
Kmart is something to do with farm storage
This place is so cute, but so sad.
It’s like it’s in a snow globe
It's always been a dead mall even 30 years ago it was dead. Only the theater stayed busy on the weekends. The mall itself only had 2 maybe 3 stores in the 90's and a salon and you could walk through the mall to get to the theater and Kmart used to have a little place to eat and you could walk from Kmart into the mall. But it's all different but still dead
Ok… here’s the list of what this place should always have…
DMV
Dentist office
Eyeglass place
Used book store
Hot dog cart only open 3 hours per day
Lawyer
Accountant
Shoe repair
Alterations
Police community substation
Military recruitment
Barber
Salon
What else????
So fascinated!
AGREED 100%! Lewisburg seems to be gaining some traction as a touristy, couple’s weekend sort of spot, and I think you could make this place work with a few well-chosen tenants. (I THINK there may have been a military recruiter in the open-air section but I’m not positive).
This mall doesn't know if it wants to be Chitty Chitty Bang Bang or Logan's Run.
I remember when that was "farm land and had small ponies grazing on it. Then the bright idea of building an addition to be a concrete jungle and look at it now....TSK TSK....humans ugh.
A lot of these places should have never been built.
There’s not much left up there. It’s not ever done great up there.
I feel like the place they chose to build it was an odd one. It’s actually really far from I-64 which means that you don’t have a lot of people finding it by accident
It's not a dead mall no more
Gorgeous building. It's so frustrating to see unique architecture go to waste. There was one small rural mall similar to this near Auburn, NY that once had facades inside that made it look like a city street marketplace. The storefronts were done up to look like they were outside, etc. This reminded me of that.