A Cincinnati-based McAlpin's pre-dated the adjacent shopping mall by 2 years. A downtown Middletown location had been established in July 1951, which moved to the MIDDLETOWN SHOPPING CENTER in October 1958. The store above opened, at the TOWNE MALL site, in February 1975. It included The Kopper Kettle, a sit-down restaurant.

Elder-Beerman, the west anchor of TOWNE MALL, is nearing completion in this snapshot. The store would welcome its first shoppers in April 1977.
Photo from the George C. Crout Collection, courtesy of the Middletown Public Library

In another vintage view, we see the mall's Main Entrance, with the McAlpin's store off in the distance.
Photo from the George C. Crout Collection, courtesy of the Middletown Public Library

A site plan of the original -465,400 square foot- facility. Its inline store space and anchors are situated on a single level. Everything converges on a sunken Center Court. By June 1977, TOWNE MALL contained fifty stores and services, with a 3,500-car-capacity parking area.

TOWNE MALL TENANTS 1977:

McALPIN'S (with Beauty Salon and Kopper Kettle restaurant) / SEARS (with attached Auto Center) / ELDER-BEERMAN (with Beauty Salon, Pharmacy and attached Auto Center) / Bresler's 33 Flavors Ice Cream / Camelot Music / Cards-N-Such / Carousel Snack Bar / Cassano's Pizza King / Casual Corner ladies' wear / Chess King men's wear / Chick-Fil-A / Dunhill's Men's Wear / Fanny Farmer Candies / First National Bank of Warren County (ouptarcel) / Flowerama / Foxmoor Casuals ladies' wear / Fun-N-Games Gameroom / GNC / Hickory Farms of Ohio / Hot Sam Pretzels / J. Riggings men's wear / J.B. Robinson Jewelers / Jean Nicole ladies' wear / Kay-Bee Toys / Kinney Shoes / Lomark Drugs / Lowrey Organ Center / Litwin Diamond Cutters / Middletown Federal Savings & Loan / Nobil's Shoes / Paul Harris ladies' wear / Plaza U ladies' wear / Radio Shack / Robert Hall apparel / Silverman's men's wear / So-Fro Fabrics / Spencer Gifts / Sterling Optical / Susie's Casuals / Sycamore Shop ladies' wear / The Bottomhalf ladies' wear / The Earring Tree / The Gap men's wear / The Limited ladies' wear / Tiffany's Bakery / Thom McAn Shoes / York Steak House / Waldenbooks / World Bazaar