Seven Corners Shopping Center

Seven Corners Shopping Center was the first major shopping center to open in suburban Washington, D.C. in Fairfax County, Virginia at Seven Corners. At its opening in 1956, it was the largest regional shopping center in Virginia. It was demolished in the mid-1990's and replaced with a power center.

History

The 45-store, $25 million, 600,000 square foot center, developed by Kass-Berger of Washington, D.C., formally opened October 4, 1956, on a 29-acre parcel at the intersection of Arlington Boulevard (U.S. Route 50) and Leesburg Pike (Virginia Route 7). ["7-Corners Center Holds Preview," by Jack Eisen, "The Washington Post and Times Herald", Sep 19, 1956, p. 16.] ["Ceremony To Be Brief At Opening," "The Washington Post and Times Herald", Oct 3, 1956, p. 38.] At opening, the store was anchored by Washington D.C.-based department stores Julius Garfinckel & Co. and a 128,000 square foot Woodward & Lothrop. The center also included a Food Lane supermarket; Woolworth's; Bond Stores, Franklin Simon & Co., Joseph R. Harris Co., Peck & Peck, and Wilson's Mens Store clothing stores; Mayer & Company furniture; Thom McAn and Hahn Shoes; Fannie Farmer candy; and Western Auto as well as a People's Drug Store, which featured stores on both the upper and lower concourses (connected via a staircase). It also included the first cafeteria in northern Virginia, an S&W Cafeteria. When opened, the center employed nearly 1,000. ["New Center Employs Nearly 1000," "The Washington Post and Times Herald", p. 42.] A Raleigh's joined the center sometime after its opening, as did a Varsity Shop men's clothing outlet and a Brentano's book store.

The main building was shaped like an "I" with two anchors at either end and two 19-foot wide promenades connecting. The center was built in a split level design with escalators connecting the two levels. Heating and cooling was by water from an underground lake located beneath the center. ["7 Corners Shopping Center Open for Business Thursday," by Jack Eisen, "The Washington Post and Times Herald", Oct 3, 1956, p. 37.]
The center prospered through the 1980's. With competition from a growing number of regional malls in the area compounded by the bankruptcy of Garfinckel's in 1990, closing of Raleigh's in 1992, and Woodward & Lothrop in 1995, that left the center with no major anchor store. ["Garfinckel's Casts a Shadow On D.C. Dream," by David S Hilzenrath, "The Washington Post", Jun 25, 1990, p. E1] Most of the center was demolished in the mid-1990's and replaced with a big box oriented power center that includes Shoppers Food Warehouse, Best Buy, Home Depot, and a Barnes & Noble. [ [http://www.deadmalls.com/malls/seven_corners_center.html Dead Malls dot Com entry (retrieved Sep 2, 2008)] .] [ [http://www.fairfaxcountyeda.org/re_seven.htm Fairfax County EDA - Doing Business in Fairfax County, Seven Corners (retrieved Sep 2, 2008)] .] The Garfinckel's was occupied by a Ross Dress for Less, and is the only original part of the center still standing. The center was the site of one of the Washington, D.C. Beltway sniper attacks in 2002. It is currently managed by Saul Centers of Bethesda, Maryland.

Anchors and major retailers

* Barnes & Noble
* Home Depot
* Ross Dress for Less
* Shoppers Food Warehouse

Former anchors

* Garfinckel's
* Woodward & Lothrop
* Raleigh's

References

External links

* [http://mall-hall-of-fame.blogspot.com/2007_01_01_archive.html Mall Hall of Fame Blogspot --- includes original mall layout and photographs (accessed Sep 2, 2008)]