The original configuration of the 800,000 square foot
CAPITOL COURT; the first major shopping center in
Wisconsin. Its construction, between 1953 and 1956,
comprised the largest single building project the city
had ever seen.
CAPITOL COURT TENANTS 1962:
GIMBELS-SCHUSTERS COMPANY (with Golden Anchor Room restaurant) / T.A. CHAPMAN COMPANY / J.C. PENNEY / F.W. WOOLWORTH (with lunch counter) / KOHL'S FOODS / KRAMBO FOODS / WALGREEN DRUG (with lunch counter) / Fairways Miniature Golf (outparcel) / Kiddietown Trampoline Center (outparcel) / Kiddietown Amusement Area (outparcel) / Pancake Kitchen / Chudik's Fur Dealers / Heineman's Confectionery / Jones Stanley Corsets / Wauwatosa Realty / Louis J. Zubren, Dentist / Angelo Shoe Repair & Valet Service / Stuart's Ladies' Apparel / Artistic Gift Shop / Ellenbecker Jewelers / Andes Candies / Chandler's Shoes / Johnnie Walker's Men's Apparel / Fabric Mart / Pewaukee Mattress & Furniture / Coach Light Greeting Cards / Maru Imports / First Wisconsin National Bank / Father & Son Shoes / Stein's Juvenile Shoes / Den Mar Kiddie Kourt Children's Apparel / The Playroom Toys / West Federal Savings & Loan / Cotton Shop Ladies' Apparel / Tie Rak Men's Apparel / Fanny Farmer Candies / Sherwin Williams Paints / Peter P. Schlenz, Podiatrist / William H. Heineman Bakery / Corned Beef Corner Cafe / Big Shoes / Schmitt Clothes, Inc. / Wayne's Barber Shop / Edward's Hairdressing Salon / Robert W. Baird & Co. Investment Broker / Capitol Court Garden Center (outparcel) / Colony Shop Men's Apparel / Hobby Horse Hobby Center / Richman Brothers Men's Apparel / Mid-West Tire & Auto / City Loan Co. / Bitker-Gerner Co. Ladies' Apparel / Baker's Shoes / Singer Sewing Center / Capitol Court Travel Service / Sheldon Stone & Associates / Lerner Shop Ladies' Apparel / Buddy Squirrel's Nut Shop / Field's Inc. Ladies' Apparel / Carpets Inc. Floor Coverings / Steller's Jewelers / Badger Paints / Maternity Modes Ladies' Apparel / Spic & Span Dry Cleaners / Keller's Beverage Center Liquors / Schiller's Millinery / Bradford Music Co. Phonographs / National Trunk Store Luggage / Lemke Insurance Agency / Singer's Whitefish Bay Ladies' Apparel / Mary Lester Fabrics
2 comments:
I grew up in San Francisco, but would spend summers visiting cousins in Milwaukee. My cousin Frank lived on 54th & Keefe and we would ride our bikes over to Capitol Court. Schuster's had a great candy department and a deli with the best popcorn for 20 cents a bag (IIRC). Later, when it was renamed Gimbels we used to buy out 45 RPM records there for 88 cents each. 135,000 sf sounds pretty small for the Schuster's store. It was 3 full floors and carried everything. But then I was young and it seemed huge to me.
Thanks for perusing and posting, Paul.
You have some great memories of the mall....and picking up singles for 88 cents each......those were the days.
I remember buying "Maggie May" (Rod S) for 66 cents (at G.C. Murphy) in August 1971. The same 45 would have been 79 cents at the DAYTON MALL Camelot Music....I didn't buy too many records @ Camelot.....they were a lot cheaper @ Murphy's and W.T. Gtant.
I think you may be correct in thinking that the Schusters-Gimbels at CAP COURT was larger than 135,000 sf. That figure was something I found in reference to the Target that operated in the structure between 1986 and 1996. They may have not been utilizing the entire 3 levels (?).
I have found that square footage figures -for a same anchor store- (listed in 2 different places) often vary dramatically. I am going to delete the 135,000 sf reference from the article.
From the looks of it, that HUGE, 3-level store must have been somewhere in the neighborhood of 2 to 300,000 sf.
Thanks again.
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