This section will serve as a Mid-Mod Mall Almanac, with all sorts of mid-century shopping center info and memorabilia. Included are details on classic mall architecture and interior design, as well as listings of the first malls, largest malls and largest mall anchor stores. In addition, there are timelines, maps and graphics. 

The Evolution of The Shopping Mall:

ULTRA-MODERN & OR INTERNATIONAL 

When the shopping mall -as we came to know it- first appeared in 1950, the prevailing architecture was known as Ultra-modern or International Style. Structures were sleek and often futuristic in appearance, with little ornamentation. There were lots of natural stone surfaces, pastel-colored panels and wide expanses of glass.

Above are two retail-related examples of the Ultra-modern style. The first is the most Ultra-modern store structure ever built, the circa-1951 "Spaceship" Jordan Marsh at Greater Boston's SHOPPERS' WORLD. 10 years later, shopping mall anchor stores were being built along the lines of the circa-1963 Higbee's at Greater Cleveland's SEVERANCE CENTER.

A depiction of an Ultra-modern mall interior. Above, we see a cut-away view of the Garden Court at Greater Minneapolis' SOUTHDALE CENTER, circa-1956. Although "Ultra-modern" at the time, this type of design is now classed as "Mid-Century Modern."

MOORISH MODERN & MANSARD

In the early 1960s, shopping mall exterior design was morphing toward a Moorish Modern motif. The accompanying interior decor style was known as Mediterranean. There were lots of arches. By the mid-1960s, many public buildings were featuring shake-shingled Mansard roof lines, as well. 

The early '60s-to-early '70s Moorish-influenced style, demonstrated by the circa-1971 Marshall Field & Company at Chicagoland's WOODFIELD MALL. The second drawing depicts a mansard-roofed structure. These were built in the years between 1965 and 1975.

1970s BRUTALIST

By the dawn of the 1970s, a new movement was well underway in the design and construction of shopping malls and their associated buildings. Referred to today as '70s Brutalist, the style had had its beginnings as far back as the mid-1950s. Exteriors were stark, concrete caisson-like hulks, with few windows.

Two examples of '70s Brutalist style. First, we have the circa-1972 Pogue's at Greater Cincinnati's NORTHGATE MALL. Next in line is the circa-1971 Joske's at Austin's HIGHLAND MALL.

MEDITERRANEAN & EARTH TONE

Starting in the mid-1960s, and continuing into the 1970s,  the Mediterranean (a.k.a. Spanish) style was very much in vogue. Mediterranean decor emulated the interior design of dwellings in Spain, Greece and Italy. Lots of rich, dark woods were used, with ornate carvings. Geometric patters, ceramic tile and wrought iron were used extensively.

The popular color palette of the time was often called Earth Tone. Green, red, yellow and -above all- orange carried the day. Shopping mall interiors would be done darkly, with Earth Tone colors, and had very little -if any- natural lighting.

Above and below we are examples of Mediterranean interior design. 
Drawing from John S. Griffith & Company

These renderings depict store fronts in Oxnard, California's THE ESPALANADE mall, which opened for business in 1970.
Drawing from John S. Griffith & Company

POST MODERN

In the late '70s, shopping mall architecture evolved away from the concrete bunker-like exteriors and dimly-lit interiors of the previous era. With the new Post Modern style, malls featured bright, sky-lighted interiors, pastel color schemes and snazzy exterior details...vaguely reminiscent of classic architecture.

Two examples of Post-Modern architecture, as it was applied to mall-based department stores. In the first rendering is the original Dillard's at Baton Rouge's CORTANA MALL, which was officially dedicated in 1976. The rendering directly above depicts the Dillard's that anchored Tulsa's WOODLAND HILLS MALL, which also opened its doors in 1976. 

A 20th Century Shopping Mall Timeline: 

Shopping mall milestones from 1900 to 1999.
-Click on images for larger views-

Photos from: Wikipedia / "Slo-mo", http://www.hpvillage.com/, Malls of America Blogspot, www.terranomicsdevelopment.com and www.shopsofsaddlecreek.com

In The Beginning...

THE FIRST MALLS IN THE FIFTY STATES:

-Click on image for a larger view-

A map showing locations of the first mall-type centers built in each of the fifty states. This depiction is subject to change when, and if, more accurate information is uncovered. By the way, locations given reflect political jurisdictions as they would have been known when each mall opened for business. 

1. Normandale Shopping City, Montgomery (1957*) 2. The Mall-Mall At Sears, Anchorage (1968) 3. Park Central Shopping City, Phoenix (1957) 4. Park Plaza, Little Rock (1960) 5. Lakewood Center, Lakewood (1951) 6. Cherry Creek Center, Denver (1954) 7. Connecticut Post Center, Milford (1960) 8. Blue Hen Mall, Dover (1968) 9. Sunrise Center, Fort Lauderdale (1954) 10. Stewart-Lakewood Center, Atlanta (1959*) 11. Moanalua Center, Honolulu (1954) 12. Karcher Mall, Nampa (1965) 13. Park Forest Plaza, Park Forest (1949) 14. Eastgate Center, Marion County (1957) 15. Park Fair Center, Des Moines (1957) 16. Prairie Village Shops South Mall, Prairie Village (1956) 17. The Mall-Mall St. Matthews, St. Matthews (1962) 18. Lakeside Center, Jefferson Parish (1960) 19. Maine Shopping Center-Turnpike Mall), Augusta (1967) 20. Mondawmin Center, Baltimore City (1956) 21. Shoppers' World, Framingham (1951) 22. Northland Center, Oakland County (1954) 23. Southdale Center, Edina (1956) 24. Edgewater Plaza Shopping City, Biloxi (1963) 25. Antioch Center, Kansas City (1956) 26. West Park Plaza, Billings (1961) 27. The Center, Omaha (1955) 28. Charleston Plaza, Las Vegas (1963*) 29. Nashua Mall & Plaza, Nashua (1969) 30. Princeton Center, Mercer County (1954) 31. Winrock Center, Albuquerque (1961) 32. Cross County Center, Yonkers (1954) 33. Charlottetown Mall, Charlotte (1959) 34. Arrowhead Center, Minot (1962) 35. Westgate Center, Fairview Park (1954) 36. Penn Square, Oklahoma City (1960) 37. Lloyd Center, Portland (1960) 38. Levittown Shop-A-Rama, Bucks County (1953) 39. Midland Mall, Warwick (1967) 40. Richland Mall, Forest Acres (1961) 41. Super City Center, Aberdeen (1964) 42. The Village, Cleveland (1961) 43. Palms Center, Houston (1955) 44. Cottonwood Mall, Salt Lake County (1962) 45. Rutland Mall, Town of Rutland (1974) 46. Seven Corners Center, Fairfax County (1956) 47. Northgate Center, King County (1950) 48. Middletown Mall, Marion County (1971) 49. Valley Fair Center, Winnebago County (1954) 50. White Mountain Mall, Rock Springs (1978)

* Became a mall after an addition to an existing strip-type complex. 

THE FIRST REGIONAL-CLASS ENCLOSED MALLS IN THE UNITED STATES:

-Click on image for a larger view-

Establishing exactly "who came first" enclosed mall-wise is quite a challenge. I've seen shopping centers built as late as the 1970s cited as being "one of the first enclosed malls in the USA." Say what? As far as I can determine, this map and list indicates the ten earliest fully-enclosed shopping malls in the United States. [Note: Greater Denver's Lakeside Center (August 1956) and Amarillo's Sunset Center (September 1960) had enclosed and open-air sections. Hence, they were not originally fully-enclosed.]

1. Southdale Center, Edina, MN (October 8, 1956)

2. Harundale Mall, Anne Arundel County, MD (October 1, 1958)

3. Big Town Mall, Mesquite, TX (February 26, 1959)

4. Charlottetown Mall, Charlotte, NC (October 29, 1959)

5. Eastwood Mall, Birmingham, AL (August 25, 1960)

6. The Crossroads, Omaha, NE (September 10, 1960)

7. North Star Mall, San Antonio, TX (September 23, 1960)

8. Town & Country Mall, Overland, MO (November 3, 1960)

9. West Park Plaza, Billings, MT (June 1, 1961)

10. Crossroads Mall, Roanoke County, VA (July 27, 1961)

 THE FIRST ENCLOSED MALLS OF THE 50 STATES:

All entrants encompassed at least 150,000 leasable square feet

-Click on images for larger views-

For The Retail Record Books:

Facts and Figures About America's Mid-20th Century Shopping Malls.

THE LARGEST:

*In 2025, the largest shopping mall in the United States is MALL OF AMERICA, in Bloomington, MN. It encompasses 2,942,000 leasable square feet, or a total floor area of 5,400,000 square feet. 

*The largest suburban shopping mall anchor store ever built was the J.L. Hudson at Greater Detroit's NORTHLAND CENTER. The original 4-level store, which opened in March 1954, encompassed 486,200 square feet. It was enlarged to 5-levels (and 536,000 square feet) in 1960. Hudson's was rebranded by Marshall Field's in August 2001 and Macy's in September 2006. Macy's shuttered the location in 2015.

LARGEST MALLS LISTS:

The first two lists were compiled using Dual Anchor Shopping Centers 1952-1965 (Richard Longstreth) as a source. The information included therein was culled from local newspapers, Womens Wear Daily and The Directory of Shopping Centers in the United States and Canada, 5th Edition (1962). The last three lists were put together myself, using info provided by various shopping mall real estate investment trusts and other sources.

IN 1956:

1. OLD ORCHARD CENTER [1,079,000 leasable square feet], Skokie, IL
2. NORTHLAND CENTER [1,040,200 leasable square feet], Oakland County, MI
3. ROOSEVELT FIELD CENTER [902,900 leasable square feet], Nassua County, NY
4. SOUTHDALE CENTER [810,000 leasable square feet], Edina, MN
5. GULFGATE SHOPPING CITY [800,000 leasable square feet], Houston, TX
    MID-ISLAND PLAZA [800,000 leasable square feet], Nassau County, NY

IN 1960:

1. GARDEN STATE PLAZA [1,340,000 leasable square feet], Paramus, NJ
2. LLOYD CENTER [1,200,000 leasable square feet], Portland, OR
3. NORTHLAND CENTER [1,158,500 leasable square feet], Southfield, MI

4. OLD ORCHARD CENTER [1,142,000 leasable square feet], Skokie, IL

5. NORTHSHORE CENTER [1,100,000 leasable square feet], Peabody, MA

IN 1968:

1. ROOSEVELT FIELD MALL [1,485,000 leasable square feet], Nassau County, NY
2. NORTHWEST PLAZA [1,474,500 leasable square feet], St. Ann and Bridgeton, MO
3. CINDERELLA CITY MALL [1,350,000 leasable square feet], Englewood, CO
4. GARDEN STATE PLAZA [1,340,000 leasable square feet], Paramus, NJ

5. SOUTHCENTER [1,339,200 leasable square feet], Tukwila, WA


IN 1973:

1. ROOSEVELT FIELD MALL [2,000,000 leasable square feet], Nassau County, NY
2. WOODFIELD MALL [1,787,700 leasable square feet], Schaumburg, IL
3. NORTHWEST PLAZA [1,474,500 leasable square feet], St. Ann and Bridgeton, MO
4. METROCENTER MALL [1,391,000 leasable square feet], Phoenix, AZ
5. CINDERELLA CITY MALL [1,350,000 leasable square feet], Englewood, CO

IN 2025:

1. MALL OF AMERICA [2,942,000 leasable square feet / 5,400,000 square feet of floor area], Bloomington, MN
2. AMERICAN DREAM [2,900,00 leasable square feet / 4,800,000 square feet of floor area], Bergen County, NJ

3. KING OF PRUSSIA [2,902,000 leasable square feet], Montgomery County, PA

4. AVENTURA MALL [2,723,000 leasable square feet], Aventura, FL
5. DEL AMO FASHION CENTER [2,608,000 leasable square feet], Torrance, CA

First & Foremost

MALLS IN GENERAL:

*Seattle's NORTHGATE CENTER (1950-2019) is widely considered to be the first suburban-style shopping mall in the nation. It was the first with a pedestrian concourse flanked by stores and the first to be anchored by a large department store branch (Seattle's The Bon Marche).

*In the 1950s, and '60s, it was typical for a mall-type shopping hub to be promoted as a "Center," "Square," "Plaza," "Shopping City" or "Shopping Park". The first shopping complex in the United States to be officially promoted as a mall was Los Angeles County's WHITTIER DOWNS MALL, which opened in August 1955. The nation's first major retail hub to be officially promoted as a mall was Paramus, New Jersey's BERGEN MALL. This facility opened in November 1957. 

*America's first 2-level shopping mall was Framingham, Massachusetts' SHOPPERS' WORLD (1951-1994).  

*The first regional-class, fully-enclosed, 2-level shopping mall was Edina, Minnesota's SOUTHDALE CENTER. Its grand opening was held in October 1956.

*The earliest 2-anchor shopping malls in the nation were WESTGATE CENTER, Fairview Park, Ohio (bi-anchored in April 1954); PARK FOREST COMMERCIAL CENTER-PARK FOREST PLAZA, Park Forest, Illinois (bi-anchored in March 1955) and CROSS COUNTY CENTER, Yonkers, New York (bi-anchored in September 1955).

*The earliest 3-anchor shopping mall was Mount Prospect, Illinois' RANDHURST CENTER, which was dedicated in August 1962.

*With the completion of its J.C. Penney department store in August 1966, St. Ann and Bridgeton, Missouri's NORTHWEST PLAZA became the nation's first 4-anchor shopping mall.

*Phoenix, Arizona's METROCENTER was the first 5-anchor shopping mall in the United States. The complex opened for business in October 1973.

SHOPPING CENTER CINEMAS:

*The Northgate Theatre, America's first shopping mall movie house, was dedicated on September 28, 1951, at Greater Seattle's NORTHGATE CENTER.

*Cinema I & II, at Peabody, Massachusetts' NORTHSHORE CENTER, was America's first mall multiplex. It was built as an outparcel of the existing shopping center and showed first features on May 29, 1963.

*The Parkway 1 & 2, the first dual cinema physically inside a shopping mall, was dedicated -at Kansas City, Missouri's WARD PARKWAY CENTER- on July 12, 1963.

*The AMC SixWest, the nation's first shopping mall six-plex, opened for business on January 22, 1969. The venue was located in Omaha's WESTROADS MALL.

MISCELLANEOUS MALL FACTS:

*The earliest shopping center parking garage in the USA was dedicated at Kansas City, Missouri's COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA in April 1923. PARKINGTON CENTER, in Arlington, Virginia, was the first retail complex in the nation to be built around a parking garage. Its original stores opened between November 1951 and August 1952.

*The shopping mall food court -as we came to know it- was developed over several years. Early prototypes existed as far back as the mid-1960s, at California's SUNVALLEY CENTER and Greater Philadelphia's PLYMOUTH MEETING MALL. The culinary complex that defined the term "food court" was Pic-Nic In The Park. It opened, in New Jersey's PARAMUS PARK, in March 1974.

A Disclaimer:

These notes were assembled using the information that I have on hand, which came from several sources. Some degree of calculation was also necessary as, in some cases, there was no previously-established precedent.