"The Homesteaders," created by local artisan Anna Belle Campbell, was installed at PRAIRIE VILLAGE SHOPS in 1952. It was relocated in 1991 and now stands northwest of the Mission Road and Tomahawk Road intersection.

Photo from The J.C. Nichols Company / John Brouck

PRAIRIE VILLAGE SHOPS, circa-1958. In 1954, a section of Brush Creek was enclosed, with a new East Mall (Buildings 2 and 3) constructed over it. The open-air shopping concourse in Building 2 was dedicated in mid-1956. A (94,000 square foot) Jones Store, added to the south end, welcomed first shoppers in late 1958. 

The first of two PRAIRIE VILLAGE logo montages is composed of trademarks of stores that were in operation between the late 1940s and early 2000s.

In this contemporary snapshot, we see Building 2, which was the first mall-type shopping facility in Kansas. 

Photo from Johnson County, Kansas

This building housed the aforementioned Jones Store for over 47 years.

Photo from Johnson County, Kansas

Graphic from the Mercantile Stores Company, Incorporated

Over the years, the official name of the south Kansas City shopping hub has evolved. By the late 1960s, it was being promoted as the PRAIRIE VILLAGE SHOPPING CENTER. This moniker was still in use in 1979. By 1981, the original name -PRAIRIE VILLAGE SHOPS- had been reinstated. 

Graphics from the J.C. Nichols Company 

All PRAIRIE VILLAGE SHOPS structures were given an exterior face lift between June and October of 1989. As part of the renovation, a Clock Tower was added to the East Mall (Building 2).

Photo from https://sah-archipedia.org / SAH Archipedia / Society of Architectural Historians / David Sachs

Building 3 occupies a pad west of Building 2 and was built as part of the shopping center's 1950s expansion.

Photo from Johnson County, Kansas