Suburban Square
Encyclopedia
Suburban Square is a shopping center located in Ardmore
, Pennsylvania
, United States
, in the Philadelphia area. The center opened in 1928, and is notable as one of the earliest shopping centers in the United States. It has also been generally credited as being the first such shopping center to include a true department store
, when Strawbridge & Clothier opened in May 1930.
Planning for the center began in 1926, when work by architectural firm of Dreher and Churchman began, and construction began in 1927. The original (and rarely used) name was "Hestobeen Square", a combination of three of the developers' names. It was renamed in a 1936 contest as "Suburban Square."
A number of shopping centers have made claims to be the "first" shopping center (depending on the definition used) in the United States, including Roland Park Shopping Center (1907), Country Club Plaza
(1923), and Highland Park Village
(1931). On some occasions, Suburban Square has been reported to be first, such as in some 1970s editions of the Guinness Book of World Records
Later editions of Guinness since 1979 list Roland Park.
Ardmore, Pennsylvania
Ardmore is a census-designated place in Delaware and Montgomery counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The population was 12,455 at the 2010 census...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, in the Philadelphia area. The center opened in 1928, and is notable as one of the earliest shopping centers in the United States. It has also been generally credited as being the first such shopping center to include a true department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
, when Strawbridge & Clothier opened in May 1930.
Planning for the center began in 1926, when work by architectural firm of Dreher and Churchman began, and construction began in 1927. The original (and rarely used) name was "Hestobeen Square", a combination of three of the developers' names. It was renamed in a 1936 contest as "Suburban Square."
A number of shopping centers have made claims to be the "first" shopping center (depending on the definition used) in the United States, including Roland Park Shopping Center (1907), Country Club Plaza
Country Club Plaza
The Country Club Plaza is an upscale shopping district and residential neighborhood in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. It was the first shopping center in the world designed to accommodate shoppers arriving by automobile...
(1923), and Highland Park Village
Highland Park Village
Highland Park Village is an upscale shopping mall located at the southwest corner of Mockingbird Lane and Preston Road in Highland Park, Texas and was the first self-contained shopping center in America. The Highland Park Village was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2000.-History:Mr....
(1931). On some occasions, Suburban Square has been reported to be first, such as in some 1970s editions of the Guinness Book of World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
Later editions of Guinness since 1979 list Roland Park.