Valley Mall (Hagerstown)
Encyclopedia
Valley Mall is an American shopping mall
serving Hagerstown
, Western Maryland
and nearby communities in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Valley Mall is one of two indoor malls in the Hagerstown Metropolitan Area
(the other being Martinsburg Mall
). The mall competes locally also with Prime Outlets Hagerstown
as well as area power centres and lifestyle complexes
.
, officially opened its doors on 15 August 1974. It was considered the second mall to open in Western Maryland and the Tri-State Area (the first being its then-sister mall Frederick Towne Mall in Frederick, Maryland
which opened in 1972). The mall opened with 90 stores anchored by Montgomery Ward
, Eyerly's, JCPenney, McCrory's, People's Drugs, Carmike Cinemas
3, and Martin's Foods grocery store. Valley Mall was considered a major factor in bringing down the popularity of downtown Hagerstown shopping as Montgomery Ward and Eyerly's among other stores moved from the city center, and people favored the mall for its ample parking and full climate-control.
Many changes have come to the mall over the years. Within a short time of opening, Eyerly's became The Bon-Ton
and a partial second floor with mostly small crafts stores opened. In 1995, the mall underwent a major renovation inside with removal of the second floor. Also in the 1990s, People's Drugs and McCrory's closed and were replaced by small shops. Martin's moved and was replaced by Toys R Us. In 1999-2000, the mall expanded with a new wing to include Old Navy
, a food court
, Hecht's
department store, a 16 screen multiplex
, and additional small stores. In 2003, Sears moved from Long Meadow shopping center in northern Hagerstown to replace Montgomery Ward which closed along with all remaining stores in 2001. In 2006, Hecht's became Macy's
as part of the retirement of the Hecht's nameplate.
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
serving Hagerstown
Hagerstown, Maryland
Hagerstown is a city in northwestern Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Washington County, and, by many definitions, the largest city in a region known as Western Maryland. The population of Hagerstown city proper at the 2010 census was 39,662, and the population of the...
, Western Maryland
Western Maryland
Western Maryland is the portion of the U.S. state of Maryland that consists of Frederick, Washington, Allegany, and Garrett counties. The region is bounded by the Mason-Dixon line to the north, Preston County, West Virginia to the west, and the Potomac River to the south. There is dispute over the...
and nearby communities in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Valley Mall is one of two indoor malls in the Hagerstown Metropolitan Area
Hagerstown Metropolitan Area
The Hagerstown-Martinsburg Metropolitan Area, officially designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as Hagerstown-Martinsburg, Maryland-West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area , constitutes the primary cities of Hagerstown, Maryland, Martinsburg, West Virginia, and...
(the other being Martinsburg Mall
Martinsburg Mall
Martinsburg Mall is a shopping center in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Completed in 1991, the mall contains more than 50 retailers, including Bon-Ton, JCPenney, Sears, and Walmart...
). The mall competes locally also with Prime Outlets Hagerstown
Prime Outlets Hagerstown
Hagerstown Premium Outlets, is an open-air outlet mall located along Interstate 70, three miles east of the highway's junction with Interstate 81, in Hagerstown, Maryland, United States...
as well as area power centres and lifestyle complexes
Lifestyle center (retail)
A lifestyle center is a shopping center or mixed-used commercial development that combines the traditional retail functions of a shopping mall with leisure amenities oriented towards upscale consumers...
.
History
Valley Mall, developed by Shopco Development Company of New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, officially opened its doors on 15 August 1974. It was considered the second mall to open in Western Maryland and the Tri-State Area (the first being its then-sister mall Frederick Towne Mall in Frederick, Maryland
Frederick, Maryland
Frederick is a city in north-central Maryland. It is the county seat of Frederick County, the largest county by area in the state of Maryland. Frederick is an outlying community of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of a greater...
which opened in 1972). The mall opened with 90 stores anchored by Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward is an online retailer that carries the same name as the former American department store chain, founded as the world's #1 mail order business in 1872 by Aaron Montgomery Ward, and which went out of business in 2001...
, Eyerly's, JCPenney, McCrory's, People's Drugs, Carmike Cinemas
Carmike Cinemas
Carmike Cinemas Inc. is a motion picture exhibitor headquartered in Columbus, Georgia in the United States of America. As of December 31, 2010 it operates or has an interest in 239 theaters with 2,236 screens in 35 states, making it the fourth largest theatre company in the United States.Carmike...
3, and Martin's Foods grocery store. Valley Mall was considered a major factor in bringing down the popularity of downtown Hagerstown shopping as Montgomery Ward and Eyerly's among other stores moved from the city center, and people favored the mall for its ample parking and full climate-control.
Many changes have come to the mall over the years. Within a short time of opening, Eyerly's became The Bon-Ton
The Bon-Ton
The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. is a regional department store company based in York, Pennsylvania, chiefly operating 275 stores, including 11 furniture galleries, in 23 states throughout the northern United States. Stores carrying its namesake nameplate serve the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions of...
and a partial second floor with mostly small crafts stores opened. In 1995, the mall underwent a major renovation inside with removal of the second floor. Also in the 1990s, People's Drugs and McCrory's closed and were replaced by small shops. Martin's moved and was replaced by Toys R Us. In 1999-2000, the mall expanded with a new wing to include Old Navy
Old Navy
Old Navy is an American clothing brand as well as a chain of stores owned by Gap, Inc., with corporate operations in San Francisco and San Bruno, California. It is one of the first major corporations to house headquarters in the new Mission Bay district of San Francisco.Gap, Inc. was run by...
, a food court
Food court
A food court is generally an indoor plaza or common area within a facility that is contiguous with the counters of multiple food vendors and provides a common area for self-serve dining. Food courts may be found in shopping malls and airports, and in various regions may be a standalone development...
, Hecht's
Hecht's
Hecht's, also known as Hecht Brothers, Hecht Bros. and the Hecht Company, was a large chain of department stores located mainly in the mid-Atlantic and southern region of the United States....
department store, a 16 screen multiplex
Multiplex (movie theater)
A multiplex is a movie theater complex with multiple screens, typically three or more. They are usually housed in a specially designed building. Sometimes, an existing venue undergoes a renovation where the existing auditoriums are split into smaller ones, or more auditoriums are added in an...
, and additional small stores. In 2003, Sears moved from Long Meadow shopping center in northern Hagerstown to replace Montgomery Ward which closed along with all remaining stores in 2001. In 2006, Hecht's became Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
as part of the retirement of the Hecht's nameplate.