Augusta's Maine Shopping Center (Turnpike Mall)

The MAINE SHOPPING CENTER was built on a site located 1.6 miles west of the Pinetree State State House. The complex was originally known as the MAINE SHOPPING CENTER. Its official name was changed to TURNPIKE MALL in the early 1970s.

Drawing from the Kennebec Realty Company

 

Who came first? Two Mainer retail centers vie for the distinction of first mall in the state. The first operational store in Augusta's MAINE SHOPPING CENTER was dedicated in October 1967, with an enclosed concourse being added in 1969. The inaugural store in Bangor's WESTGATE MALL opened in November 1967, with an enclosed concourse being completed in 1968. We made a call and designated the MAINE SHOPPING CENTER as the first mall in the Pine Tree State.

Photo from the Bangor Daily News