I can tell you the abandoned shell formally known as Macy's was originally a WT Grant's. Sometime between 1969 and 1986 it became a Strouss. Kaufmann's took over in 1986 and of course Macy's took over in 2006. As for the hidden wing, that's a bit of a rabbit hole, there are several stories and theories as to why the wing was suddenly shuttered in 1997. The story I've heard the most often is that Pocketchange Park, which was the biggest attraction back there, closed around Christmas 1996. At the same time, Sears was looking to expand, so in February 1997 they evicted the remaining stores (Dollar Tree was relocated elsewhere in the mall, other stores like a coffee shop, a convenience store, and a vacuum dealer called Shenango Sweeper weren't so lucky), permanently locked the outdoor entrance and sealed the inline entrance (which was between GNC and Rave, those two storefronts are now one space occupied by Maurice's). From there, the story gets murky. All I know is Sears ultimately never went through with the expansion and in March 2004 the mall built a new corridor linking the restroom hallway to the hidden hallway, opening it to the public once again (please note these dates are accurate but I have no idea how accurate this version of events is, it's just the version I've heard from the most people. If anyone has more information please reply).After the 2004 unsealing there were two businesses back there: Twice Loved Appliances, which had previously been located in the recently vacated antique shop, and a Mercer County government office. Over the next few years a handful of businesses would try leasing space back there (hopefully for cheaper rent than on the main concourse lol) and the mall opened a community room back there in the old mall office in 2005. The longest running tenant back there after the reopen was actually a karate school which lasted about 3 years before finally giving up the ghost in early 2010, they were the last tenant to try it back there. Also not many people know this but there's ANOTHER hidden wing in the mall that has been closed to the public for almost 30 years (ok not really a wing but a storefront). Directly to the left of the concourse entrance to Macy's there's a narrow hallway that is currently employee's only. Up until the very early 90s that hallway led to a Mercer County DMV office
A toy store was back there and a bank and a couple of other stores actually. They were adding to it and then in the early 80s the economy tanked. And the steel Mills were shutting down and then people started moving out, so maybe that’s why they stopped adding to the mail.
Thanks Ace! I walk here at the Shenango Valley Mall a few times each week. This mall was originally an outdoor plaza hence the white brick around the inside entrance to JC Penney and was later enclosed making it a mall. It has experienced some water problems in the floor and along the baseboards and in the roof. The 70's wing houses the back side of the mall offices and some mall storage space. The elderly woman who still works at the lottery booth has been employed there at the Shenango Valley Mall for over 40 years since the very beginning and she is a legend. Finally, the Grove City Outlets are one of the biggest contributors to this mall's decline because they are close by and are a very popular shopping destination.
There used to be an arcade back in that 70s wing too. I spent several years working at both Sears and GameStop at this mall. The woman at the lottery counter was the first thing I noticed and was thrilled to see she’s still working there.
I have family that lives in the area and seeing videos of this mall always makes me feel so nostalgic. The 70's wing you showed has always been my favorite part of the mall. I've been told it once connected to the original concourse where the Maurice's store is now. I never knew why they sealed it up, it always seemed silly to me. But because of its isolation once that storefront was put it, it never received the slight "modernized" facelift the main stretch of the mall got. That hall of the mall was mostly small local stores like a hairdresser, a little bargain store and someone who sold shoes. Most of the businesses never lasted, and would change frequently since it saw so little foot traffic. Thank you for documenting this little mall I loved going to as a kid in the 2000's, I hope it will still be around for a while.
I wrote up this mall for Deadmalls in 2017 but the post has never been uploaded, so I'm going to answer some questions. Shenango Valley was opened October 14, 1967 with Sears, Penney's, and W.T. Grant as the anchors, and an attached BiLo supermarket. In the mid-70s, the expansion wing was created (the one at the end). 1979 saw the dead Grant's space replaced with Strouss, which was a department store chain based out of Youngstown. Not long after opening at the mall, the Strouss store in downtown Sharon closed. Strouss became Kaufmann's in 1986 when the May Company acquired it. The Prime Outlets at Grove City opened in 1994 and threatened to take away many inline tenants from Shenango Valley. In response, Hermitage officials successfully lobbied Crown American to carry out a $3.5 million renovation in 1996. The renovation spruced up the mall corridor and the Sears store and brought the gross leasable area of the center to 512,000 square feet. It also helped the mall retain smaller stores. Two years later, May Company expanded the Kaufmann’s store by absorbing the 30,000 square feet left over from the closed BiLo; it also renovated at this time, which explains why the ex-Macy's looks just a little newer from the outside.
That 70s hallway was perfect. So worth waiting for ❤ The muzak was perfect. You just can't find spaces like that anymore. Such a beautiful rarity. Does anyone know the the name of the muzak?
The whole mall is clean & well maintained. The light fixtures and wallpaper in the 70s wing are pure gold. I could see Bob Newhart walking through those halls on his way to work. I swear some of these small town malls don't realize it's not the 70s anymore.
It’s almost like they didn’t remodel that section on purpose. Kind of like a place to show how it was in the past. The mall there I live (Somerset, Ky.) was built in 1983 and they still use the original sign frame for the mall and the movie theater. It had newer carpet put in the the ceiling has the 80s light fixtures and chrome accents on the ceiling and the original grey & red tiles on the columns. The lights around the outside are original as well.
That section is stuck in the 70s because when the mall underwent a massive renovation in 2002 that section was still closed to the public, so it was spared the modern update
It is like walking into the 1970's, from what I have seen on TV. Seriously they should never change that corridor. It depends on if they can just keep the roof from leaking though, they probably barely spend any money on upkeep.
My father worked briefly in this area at a local hospital. I dont recall much about this community or mall. I do remember this city is near the Ohio-PA border.
I live in this area very close to the mall and the “vintage wing” shot is actually used sometimes for gymnastics classes, cheer practices, and other types of team practices that require a bigger amount of space. There also used to be a toy store and other fun spots back there but of course like the others shut down
The "70's Wing" was actually called "North Mall" with overhead signage stating that at the entryway. The store I remembered the most in that wing was a sporting goods store. Other tenants in the main part of the mall were National Record Mart, Waldenbooks, Thrift Drug, Father & Son Shoes, Hickory Farms, and Radio Shack. There was also an ice cream shop called Sweet William that existed from the late 70s to the mid 80s. I used to get my haircut at the barbershop at that mall from the mid-'70s to the early 80s when I became a teenager. The barber who ran the shop was run by Jim Morsillo and was a pretty good barber. The JCPenney had its own restaurant that was busy for years and had a visit from Santa Claus every Christmas. I am related to many but not all of the McConnell family through my aunt on my mom's side of the family. My uncle is a retired attorney and one of his sons is an attorney and another is a local businessman, they all still live in Hermitage. One of their cousins who I am not related to is a Mercer County Commissioner. I would disagree that this mall is in a "rural area" per se. The Shenango Valley is fairly populated and could be considered a combination of rural, suburban and rust belt small town. It is also part of the Youngstown Metro Area. I do not think that Grove City Outlets was the sole or even the number one factor that lead the mall to its current state. Online shopping, Walmart, the further development of the Hermitage retail corridor on Route 18 and a stagnate local economy were all contributing factors.
Do you have any insider's insight on what happened to the North Mall? I know it was abruptly sealed to the public in Feb 1997 and just as abruptly unsealed circa March 2004. There are several stories and theories as to why the wing was suddenly shuttered in 1997. The story I've heard the most often though I can't confirm its veracity is that Pocketchange Park, which was the biggest attraction back there, closed around Christmas 1996. At the same time, Sears was looking to expand, so in February 1997 they evicted the remaining stores (Dollar Tree was relocated elsewhere in the mall, other stores like a coffee shop, a convenience store, and a vacuum dealer called Shenango Sweeper weren't so lucky), permanently locked the outdoor entrance and sealed the inline entrance (which was between GNC and Rave, those two storefronts are now one space occupied by Maurice's). From there, the story gets murky. All I know is Sears ultimately never went through with the expansion and in March 2004 the mall built a new corridor linking the restroom hallway to the hidden hallway, opening it to the public once again (please note these dates are accurate but I have no idea how accurate this version of events is, it's just the version I've heard from the most people. If anyone has more information please reply).After the 2004 unsealing there were two businesses back there: Twice Loved Appliances, which had previously been located in the recently vacated antique shop, and a Mercer County government office. Over the next few years a handful of businesses would try leasing space back there (hopefully for cheaper rent than on the main concourse lol) and the mall opened a community room back there in the old mall office in 2005. The longest running tenant back there after the reopen was actually a karate school which lasted about 3 years before finally giving up the ghost in early 2010, they were the last tenant to try it back there.
Thank you for sharing. My great grandmother was a McConnell from northwestern Pennsylvania. My mother grew up on a dairy farm near Sharon, PA. I’ve been back to PA as a small child but grew up in California. I appreciate the the bits and pieces of PA history.
thanks for filming this! i originally am from a town near hermitage and its been a few years since i've been back there. watching this is EXTREMELY nostalgic and sad to see everything closed. that mall was basically THE MALL to go to since there really isnt anything else around there.
That hidden wing was just another way you use to get to the main part of the mall there use to be a older couple had a stand there selling lottery things there and the arcade was back there and some other things but when they did a remodel and put in maurices they just used part of the hallway they needed and left the rest to and that’s what you see I have lived in that area all my life going in that back wing takes me back to when my dad would take me to the arcade an play games there
Your videos are awesome- One mall you must visit soon is Stratford Square in Bloomingdale, Illinois. It was built in the early 80's, once home to a whopping 6 dept. stores and is two levels. It hit it's peak in the late 90's but has been on the decline ever since. The Marshall Fields, JCPenney, Carson's are all vacant, as is 80% of the mall. It once housed retailers such as A&F, id, Suncoast, Baskin, Forever 21, and Aldo and for awhile Lord and Taylor was on a waiting list to get in. It's still open but about to have half of it torn down so that a Woodmans store can be built on the property. The real thing to see is the shuttered JcPenneys. It was originally a Wiebolt's and Penney's never remodeled it. Locked up inside it has the Mauve carpeting, honeycomb dept designs, smoke colored glass and original everything. Also worth seeing is the shuttered Macy's which was for many years a Marshall Fields prior. Again never remodeled and not beat up. The Mongomery ward store still exists but is now a Burlington coat factory. The Carson's store recently closed and has been remodeled twice, but this will be the demise of the mall. This demolition will happen soon so I would love for you to photograph and tour it. The mall once had two food courts, one being the current and another being a meat and cheese food court with shops such as Hickory Farms. Also, it had waterfalls cascading from the second floor in the Kohl's (originally MainStreet)/ Sears wing. It closed and was repurposed in the early 80's. It is in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago, and I can tell you a complete list of what has been in there if needed. Very sad to see this gem go.
Although I now live in Austin, TX, I grew up in Sharon/Sharpsville and spent most of my childhood at that mall. In the 90s it was still totally in full swing, and I'm sure we have some pictures in albums of being there. In the early 2000s it was still going strong, and I used to go with my mom who would leave me at the video game store to play on the consoles while she shopped for whatever. Honestly, though, by the time I got to high school (graduated in 2008), it was already dying out. Online shopping was ramping up, and stores were closing left and right. My mom still goes to the JC Penny's there. When I went home for Christmas last year, I went to the mall 3 days after christmas with my girlfriend and a childhood friend (also from the sharon/hermitage area). It was a Friday night and the mall had maybe 6 people in it, tops. My girlfriend, from Dallas, couldn't believe the desolation. I think the mall is quite indicative of the general area. When I was a kid in the 90s, Sharon had things going on. Sure, it wasn't as booming as it was in the '50s when steel was still local, but there were things to do and people doing them. By the time I had grown up and gone to college is was a dead. And now, the entirety of Mercer county is a dead, desolate shit hole. It saddens me to see very bright schoolmates of mine who went and got expensive college degrees only to move back home, where it's nearly impossible to find a job that pays more than $10/hr. The only redeeming quality of that area is that my parents are still there, Our Gangs has great wings, and you can get a beer for $2 and a house for $75,000. A beer down here is at minimum $8, and I paid $350,000 for my house, in a normal, modest middle-class neighborhood. But, I wouldn't move back for $10 million. I just wouldn't. I couldn't
Interesting to see a larger JCPenney that did not receive the Johnson boutique remodel in apparel or the home department update but does have a Sephora. I'm assuming a salon is hiding somewhere in there too?
"70s" wing music reminds me of the old Valley Fair Mall in Appleton,WI. With its orange maze carpeting. That mall is long torn down, but back when I was a kid that was kind of music you would hear in it. Very fitting.
Also, I didn't realize until recently - this is VERY close to Eastwood Mall in Niles, OH. That alone probably killed it. Eastwood Mall is fantastic, and even has a walk-through aquarium.
Was just there the other day as we have family in the Hermitage-area. The JCPenny, Auntie Anne’s, and one jeweler remain. Everything else has closed. Besides my mother and I, there were maybe 5 other staff there on a Friday afternoon. Sad.
I’m in love with the 70s design anyway but that was an awesome find! That was the coolest wing of the mall. The music was perfect too. Great job again!
Terrific video and like how you throw in a surprise or two in your work. The hidden wing reeks late 70s/early 80s with shoppers in disco wear and bell bottoms moving about. That wing had more character than the so many renovated malls today. If Penneys closes this mall is dead. It's already losing Payless very soon. Very sad. I for one like how you find these little mall gems and give them a chance to tell their story. #allmallsmatter The music also sounds like scene transition themes if I were watching Taxi from the late 70s with the jazz themes throughout. Great job Ace
Yes!!! I agree. Malls should do a retro relaunch where they purposely decorate everything in decor from the 50s through the 80s and include an arcade. I'd shop at a mall like that quicker than a newer on for sure!
If I lived in this area I would start a youth community center in the hidden vintage wing. The rules would be simple, check-in your phones at the front desk and hangout with others to socialize, play table top games, crafts, etc...I would want them to experience life like it was in a more simple and genuine time.
I live 30 minutes from this mall. When I was young my sister would always bring me here when we did our Christmas shopping because it was always dead, and didn’t have to fight the crowds at our local mall, and that was in the 80’s when malls were really popular. We always called it the hall mall because it’s literally just one big hallway lol.
I'm not a mega fan of the 70's but, this video earned just a piece of it a place in my heart. The music helped. I have a love hate relationship with the 70's as a Californian...
Sad to see the mall like this. I remember the weekend before Christmas 1996 we had to park in the grass behind the mall because the parking lot was so full. I went here from the mid to late 90s. There was people everywhere. It used to be a fun place and with a lot going on. Of course when you're 16 or 17 and first get your driver's license everything was a big deal. I don't know, it just seems public place are at have the capacity they used to be. Not just malls but movie theaters, bars, restaurants bowling alleys all of them are dead. Nobody leaves their house anymore.
From what I heard, there was a karate studio and an arcade back there after it was closed down over 20 years ago. And there's a dancing granny there lol
That hallway was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!! I need to go here for a road trip and take some pictures there!!! That was sooo fascinating!! Do you know what store used to be where the stripes were on the outside?
09:44 this looks a lot like labyrinths in Liberty Place mall in the heart of Philadelphia, PA. the place used to be packed. This means that dead or zombie malls aren't just a suburban thing. They are a big city thing too. Liberty Place can't even generate the pedestrian sidewalk traffic it once did. The reason why malls in the center of cites collapsed is due to crime and the element that now goes there to socialize and fight with one another. The riots of 2020 placed city malls on life support.
I've seen so many locations where tiles have buckled. drop ceilings have shown signs of water damage, black mold or just a dirty ceiling or walls are just been left with no proactive repairing of the area, and they are always the point where my eyes are directed to it. Many times these unsightly areas could be repaired for so little and yet they leave it to expand. Are these locations in such bad shape that they leave these eyesores alone and treat their tenants to something that is unattractive? I appreciate their difficult times, but neglecting them is not the way to turn these centres for Commerce around.This has some potential, and I am wondering how this neglect has become a noticeable theme. Great vlog, mate! Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus! (Happy St David's Day in Welsh)
@Gary Gans I think it's a case where the owners just don't feel there's any point in spending money on fixing it unless a merchant (or several) actually shows interest in renting a space in the neglected area. If nobody is interested, then the owners do just enough to keep the entire mall from being condemned... but as long as they don't fix it, nobody is going to be interested. It's a vicious circle. In other words, I agree with you. Neglecting routine (and relatively cheap) maintenance is *not* going to turn things around. Plus, the longer you wait to fix major issues by slapping Band-Aids on them - that is to say, settling for "good enough for now" - the more expensive it's going to be to fix it properly if/when you finally get around to it.
In that last part, in the 70's vintage area, I found myself checking my cars license plate to see if it was odd or even so I could go get gas on the right day.
While the 70’s groove is cool I think it’s like this because the various owners can’t afford to renovate. Let’s hope Penny’s hangs in there, otherwise this place will empty pretty fast. Also people have to understand that they need to support these malls if they want them to survive.
One advantage of these rural malls is they don't get as updated like the big city malls. I'd be hard pressed to find any vintage aesthics in any big city mall.
09:01 back in the 80s and 90s and early 2000s you'd see these malls picked with young shoppers looking for that new outfit that will get them laid on Saturday night! LOL …but no one really goes out 'clubbing' on weekends nowadays because it's just way too expensive to socialize like that on a regular basis. On a side note: does anyone call it "clubbing" anymore? maybe the fact that people stopped going out on weekends to party means that the term faded into the ether approximately 15 years ago.
Hey buddy, if you haven't already. You should check out Westland mall in Columbus, OH. It's right across the street from the Hollywood Casino. My fiance has a bunch of pictures of it but to see you put your spin on it would be pretty awesome!!
I live near Hermitage (the place where the mall is) and I'm sad to see that it is dying, but maybe it's for the best. Online retailers are the big rage these days.
Being a 70s kid absolutely loved the vintage hallway in the last segment and the music was spot on. For a moment I was five again.
Same here!
i actually sometime go to that mall its in the same town as where i live hermitage,PA it opened in 1969
Kinda nostalgic and sad at the same time. That mall was empty.
That "brown filter" really ads to the look.
I can tell you the abandoned shell formally known as Macy's was originally a WT Grant's. Sometime between 1969 and 1986 it became a Strouss. Kaufmann's took over in 1986 and of course Macy's took over in 2006.
As for the hidden wing, that's a bit of a rabbit hole, there are several stories and theories as to why the wing was suddenly shuttered in 1997. The story I've heard the most often is that Pocketchange Park, which was the biggest attraction back there, closed around Christmas 1996. At the same time, Sears was looking to expand, so in February 1997 they evicted the remaining stores (Dollar Tree was relocated elsewhere in the mall, other stores like a coffee shop, a convenience store, and a vacuum dealer called Shenango Sweeper weren't so lucky), permanently locked the outdoor entrance and sealed the inline entrance (which was between GNC and Rave, those two storefronts are now one space occupied by Maurice's). From there, the story gets murky. All I know is Sears ultimately never went through with the expansion and in March 2004 the mall built a new corridor linking the restroom hallway to the hidden hallway, opening it to the public once again (please note these dates are accurate but I have no idea how accurate this version of events is, it's just the version I've heard from the most people. If anyone has more information please reply).After the 2004 unsealing there were two businesses back there: Twice Loved Appliances, which had previously been located in the recently vacated antique shop, and a Mercer County government office. Over the next few years a handful of businesses would try leasing space back there (hopefully for cheaper rent than on the main concourse lol) and the mall opened a community room back there in the old mall office in 2005. The longest running tenant back there after the reopen was actually a karate school which lasted about 3 years before finally giving up the ghost in early 2010, they were the last tenant to try it back there.
Also not many people know this but there's ANOTHER hidden wing in the mall that has been closed to the public for almost 30 years (ok not really a wing but a storefront). Directly to the left of the concourse entrance to Macy's there's a narrow hallway that is currently employee's only. Up until the very early 90s that hallway led to a Mercer County DMV office
Interesting, how do you know all of this? I’m glad you do!
Dobby Cool house elf yes, it was called “the north mall”
What a time capsule that décor at the end clip screams 70's and that music used to hear that in almost every mall I went to growing up.
Back when you didn't have rock or top 40 pop imposed on you everywhere.
Wow man. You absolutely nailed the music cue when you hit the 70s wing. Made me feel feelings.
A toy store was back there and a bank and a couple of other stores actually. They were adding to it and then in the early 80s the economy tanked. And the steel Mills were shutting down and then people started moving out, so maybe that’s why they stopped adding to the mail.
Thanks Ace! I walk here at the Shenango Valley Mall a few times each week. This mall was originally an outdoor plaza hence the white brick around the inside entrance to JC Penney and was later enclosed making it a mall. It has experienced some water problems in the floor and along the baseboards and in the roof. The 70's wing houses the back side of the mall offices and some mall storage space. The elderly woman who still works at the lottery booth has been employed there at the Shenango Valley Mall for over 40 years since the very beginning and she is a legend. Finally, the Grove City Outlets are one of the biggest contributors to this mall's decline because they are close by and are a very popular shopping destination.
There used to be an arcade back in that 70s wing too. I spent several years working at both Sears and GameStop at this mall. The woman at the lottery counter was the first thing I noticed and was thrilled to see she’s still working there.
I have family that lives in the area and seeing videos of this mall always makes me feel so nostalgic.
The 70's wing you showed has always been my favorite part of the mall. I've been told it once connected to the original concourse where the Maurice's store is now. I never knew why they sealed it up, it always seemed silly to me. But because of its isolation once that storefront was put it, it never received the slight "modernized" facelift the main stretch of the mall got. That hall of the mall was mostly small local stores like a hairdresser, a little bargain store and someone who sold shoes. Most of the businesses never lasted, and would change frequently since it saw so little foot traffic.
Thank you for documenting this little mall I loved going to as a kid in the 2000's, I hope it will still be around for a while.
The 70’s wing was pretty incredible. The music really adds another level to it all.
Love that hidden wing! Saw it a couple of years ago & glad it’s still accessible . Nice job
Holly 70's! Love the hidden wing. The music was a good touch.
I wrote up this mall for Deadmalls in 2017 but the post has never been uploaded, so I'm going to answer some questions.
Shenango Valley was opened October 14, 1967 with Sears, Penney's, and W.T. Grant as the anchors, and an attached BiLo supermarket.
In the mid-70s, the expansion wing was created (the one at the end). 1979 saw the dead Grant's space replaced with Strouss, which was a department store chain based out of Youngstown. Not long after opening at the mall, the Strouss store in downtown Sharon closed. Strouss became Kaufmann's in 1986 when the May Company acquired it.
The Prime Outlets at Grove City opened in 1994 and threatened to take away many inline tenants from Shenango Valley. In response, Hermitage officials successfully lobbied Crown American to carry out a $3.5 million renovation in 1996. The renovation spruced up the mall corridor and the Sears store and brought the gross leasable area of the center to 512,000 square feet. It also helped the mall retain smaller stores. Two years later, May Company expanded the Kaufmann’s store by absorbing the 30,000 square feet left over from the closed BiLo; it also renovated at this time, which explains why the ex-Macy's looks just a little newer from the outside.
The rennovation was approved in 1996 but was never fully carried out until 2001-2002
Thanks for the information!
That brick floor 😍 those light fixtures 😍and that paneling ❤️❤️❤️
Don't forget the sideways rainbow thingy at 11:23!
Great video! That old retro wing of the mall is awesome! I love the ceiling wallpaper!
That 70s hallway was perfect. So worth waiting for ❤ The muzak was perfect. You just can't find spaces like that anymore. Such a beautiful rarity. Does anyone know the the name of the muzak?
That fully nostalgic last wing was EVERYTHING! 😍👏
The whole mall is clean & well maintained. The light fixtures and wallpaper in the 70s wing are pure gold. I could see Bob Newhart walking through those halls on his way to work. I swear some of these small town malls don't realize it's not the 70s anymore.
Oh good, you discovered the "Seventies wing". XD
I love your little car in the intros
How appropriate was that music...LMAO! Good one.
It’s almost like they didn’t remodel that section on purpose. Kind of like a place to show how it was in the past. The mall there I live (Somerset, Ky.) was built in 1983 and they still use the original sign frame for the mall and the movie theater. It had newer carpet put in the the ceiling has the 80s light fixtures and chrome accents on the ceiling and the original grey & red tiles on the columns. The lights around the outside are original as well.
That section is stuck in the 70s because when the mall underwent a massive renovation in 2002 that section was still closed to the public, so it was spared the modern update
Love the music and style you added to that 1970s wing of the mall lol
It is like walking into the 1970's, from what I have seen on TV. Seriously they should never change that corridor. It depends on if they can just keep the roof from leaking though, they probably barely spend any money on upkeep.
My father worked briefly in this area at a local hospital. I dont recall much about this community or mall. I do remember this city is near the Ohio-PA border.
I live in this area very close to the mall and the “vintage wing” shot is actually used sometimes for gymnastics classes, cheer practices, and other types of team practices that require a bigger amount of space. There also used to be a toy store and other fun spots back there but of course like the others shut down
I have quite a few relatives in Hermitage and surrounding areas. The entire region never recovered when Big Steel closed down.
The "70's Wing" was actually called "North Mall" with overhead signage stating that at the entryway. The store I remembered the most in that wing was a sporting goods store. Other tenants in the main part of the mall were National Record Mart, Waldenbooks, Thrift Drug, Father & Son Shoes, Hickory Farms, and Radio Shack. There was also an ice cream shop called Sweet William that existed from the late 70s to the mid 80s. I used to get my haircut at the barbershop at that mall from the mid-'70s to the early 80s when I became a teenager. The barber who ran the shop was run by Jim Morsillo and was a pretty good barber.
The JCPenney had its own restaurant that was busy for years and had a visit from Santa Claus every Christmas.
I am related to many but not all of the McConnell family through my aunt on my mom's side of the family. My uncle is a retired attorney and one of his sons is an attorney and another is a local businessman, they all still live in Hermitage. One of their cousins who I am not related to is a Mercer County Commissioner.
I would disagree that this mall is in a "rural area" per se. The Shenango Valley is fairly populated and could be considered a combination of rural, suburban and rust belt small town. It is also part of the Youngstown Metro Area.
I do not think that Grove City Outlets was the sole or even the number one factor that lead the mall to its current state. Online shopping, Walmart, the further development of the Hermitage retail corridor on Route 18 and a stagnate local economy were all contributing factors.
Do you have any insider's insight on what happened to the North Mall? I know it was abruptly sealed to the public in Feb 1997 and just as abruptly unsealed circa March 2004. There are several stories and theories as to why the wing was suddenly shuttered in 1997. The story I've heard the most often though I can't confirm its veracity is that Pocketchange Park, which was the biggest attraction back there, closed around Christmas 1996. At the same time, Sears was looking to expand, so in February 1997 they evicted the remaining stores (Dollar Tree was relocated elsewhere in the mall, other stores like a coffee shop, a convenience store, and a vacuum dealer called Shenango Sweeper weren't so lucky), permanently locked the outdoor entrance and sealed the inline entrance (which was between GNC and Rave, those two storefronts are now one space occupied by Maurice's). From there, the story gets murky. All I know is Sears ultimately never went through with the expansion and in March 2004 the mall built a new corridor linking the restroom hallway to the hidden hallway, opening it to the public once again (please note these dates are accurate but I have no idea how accurate this version of events is, it's just the version I've heard from the most people. If anyone has more information please reply).After the 2004 unsealing there were two businesses back there: Twice Loved Appliances, which had previously been located in the recently vacated antique shop, and a Mercer County government office. Over the next few years a handful of businesses would try leasing space back there (hopefully for cheaper rent than on the main concourse lol) and the mall opened a community room back there in the old mall office in 2005. The longest running tenant back there after the reopen was actually a karate school which lasted about 3 years before finally giving up the ghost in early 2010, they were the last tenant to try it back there.
Thank you for sharing. My great grandmother was a McConnell from northwestern Pennsylvania. My mother grew up on a dairy farm near Sharon, PA. I’ve been back to PA as a small child but grew up in California. I appreciate the the bits and pieces of PA history.
thanks for filming this! i originally am from a town near hermitage and its been a few years since i've been back there. watching this is EXTREMELY nostalgic and sad to see everything closed. that mall was basically THE MALL to go to since there really isnt anything else around there.
That hidden wing was just another way you use to get to the main part of the mall there use to be a older couple had a stand there selling lottery things there and the arcade was back there and some other things but when they did a remodel and put in maurices they just used part of the hallway they needed and left the rest to and that’s what you see I have lived in that area all my life going in that back wing takes me back to when my dad would take me to the arcade an play games there
Your videos are awesome- One mall you must visit soon is Stratford Square in Bloomingdale, Illinois. It was built in the early 80's, once home to a whopping 6 dept. stores and is two levels. It hit it's peak in the late 90's but has been on the decline ever since. The Marshall Fields, JCPenney, Carson's are all vacant, as is 80% of the mall. It once housed retailers such as A&F, id, Suncoast, Baskin, Forever 21, and Aldo and for awhile Lord and Taylor was on a waiting list to get in. It's still open but about to have half of it torn down so that a Woodmans store can be built on the property. The real thing to see is the shuttered JcPenneys. It was originally a Wiebolt's and Penney's never remodeled it. Locked up inside it has the Mauve carpeting, honeycomb dept designs, smoke colored glass and original everything. Also worth seeing is the shuttered Macy's which was for many years a Marshall Fields prior. Again never remodeled and not beat up. The Mongomery ward store still exists but is now a Burlington coat factory. The Carson's store recently closed and has been remodeled twice, but this will be the demise of the mall. This demolition will happen soon so I would love for you to photograph and tour it. The mall once had two food courts, one being the current and another being a meat and cheese food court with shops such as Hickory Farms. Also, it had waterfalls cascading from the second floor in the Kohl's (originally MainStreet)/ Sears wing. It closed and was repurposed in the early 80's. It is in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago, and I can tell you a complete list of what has been in there if needed. Very sad to see this gem go.
Although I now live in Austin, TX, I grew up in Sharon/Sharpsville and spent most of my childhood at that mall. In the 90s it was still totally in full swing, and I'm sure we have some pictures in albums of being there. In the early 2000s it was still going strong, and I used to go with my mom who would leave me at the video game store to play on the consoles while she shopped for whatever.
Honestly, though, by the time I got to high school (graduated in 2008), it was already dying out. Online shopping was ramping up, and stores were closing left and right. My mom still goes to the JC Penny's there. When I went home for Christmas last year, I went to the mall 3 days after christmas with my girlfriend and a childhood friend (also from the sharon/hermitage area). It was a Friday night and the mall had maybe 6 people in it, tops. My girlfriend, from Dallas, couldn't believe the desolation.
I think the mall is quite indicative of the general area. When I was a kid in the 90s, Sharon had things going on. Sure, it wasn't as booming as it was in the '50s when steel was still local, but there were things to do and people doing them. By the time I had grown up and gone to college is was a dead. And now, the entirety of Mercer county is a dead, desolate shit hole. It saddens me to see very bright schoolmates of mine who went and got expensive college degrees only to move back home, where it's nearly impossible to find a job that pays more than $10/hr.
The only redeeming quality of that area is that my parents are still there, Our Gangs has great wings, and you can get a beer for $2 and a house for $75,000. A beer down here is at minimum $8, and I paid $350,000 for my house, in a normal, modest middle-class neighborhood. But, I wouldn't move back for $10 million. I just wouldn't. I couldn't
Cool 1970's part/music 😀
Interesting to see a larger JCPenney that did not receive the Johnson boutique remodel in apparel or the home department update but does have a Sephora. I'm assuming a salon is hiding somewhere in there too?
"70s" wing music reminds me of the old Valley Fair Mall in Appleton,WI. With its orange maze carpeting. That mall is long torn down, but back when I was a kid that was kind of music you would hear in it. Very fitting.
Love the 70s wing part of it!
Also, I didn't realize until recently - this is VERY close to Eastwood Mall in Niles, OH. That alone probably killed it. Eastwood Mall is fantastic, and even has a walk-through aquarium.
Also the Boardman Mall probably helped stomped it out as well!
What has really killed the Shenango Valley Mall for sure is the Grove City Outlets.
My mom worked at WT Grants in the 1970s and then at JCPenny’s in the late 70s and early 80s in the custom decorating department.
I went to this mall alot as a kid..thanks for the stroll down memory lane!
I am so obsessed with these dead malls...
Was just there the other day as we have family in the Hermitage-area. The JCPenny, Auntie Anne’s, and one jeweler remain. Everything else has closed. Besides my mother and I, there were maybe 5 other staff there on a Friday afternoon. Sad.
Cool hidden wing. I spent a week in Hermitage for work. Wish I knew about that little gem. All I did in the mall was hit GNC.
This the hometown mall.. crazy there is videos like this now.. done some wild things and skateboarded through the whole mall, love where I’m from
Yesssssssssssss finally!!! I am so excited. I thought no one would ever do this mall!
I really hope it makes a come back, Im always making a trip out to niles for all the stores that dropped out here.
I’m in love with the 70s design anyway but that was an awesome find! That was the coolest wing of the mall. The music was perfect too. Great job again!
This mall hit me all in the nostalgia! More wood panels, I say.
Terrific video and like how you throw in a surprise or two in your work. The hidden wing reeks late 70s/early 80s with shoppers in disco wear and bell bottoms moving about. That wing had more character than the so many renovated malls today.
If Penneys closes this mall is dead. It's already losing Payless very soon. Very sad.
I for one like how you find these little mall gems and give them a chance to tell their story. #allmallsmatter
The music also sounds like scene transition themes if I were watching Taxi from the late 70s with the jazz themes throughout. Great job Ace
Oh my goodness that music took me back to the 70's early 80s
A lot of the malls should try some retro 70s styling.
Yes!!! I agree. Malls should do a retro relaunch where they purposely decorate everything in decor from the 50s through the 80s and include an arcade. I'd shop at a mall like that quicker than a newer on for sure!
Now THAT sis a quality intro! I love it!
Wow, this is a great video. The 1970's piece at the end is so cool! Really brings me back.
KristiCats thank you!
The wing at the end is sooo cool.
I dumped a lot of quarters in Pocket Change arcade!!! Also had 2 toy stores, radio shack, National Record Mart, and Scotto’s Pizza.
Aww Sure Brings Back Memories..Good music with it too..Good Job..
If I lived in this area I would start a youth community center in the hidden vintage wing. The rules would be simple, check-in your phones at the front desk and hangout with others to socialize, play table top games, crafts, etc...I would want them to experience life like it was in a more simple and genuine time.
I live 30 minutes from this mall. When I was young my sister would always bring me here when we did our Christmas shopping because it was always dead, and didn’t have to fight the crowds at our local mall, and that was in the 80’s when malls were really popular. We always called it the hall mall because it’s literally just one big hallway lol.
I'm not a mega fan of the 70's but, this video earned just a piece of it a place in my heart. The music helped. I have a love hate relationship with the 70's as a Californian...
JCPenney looks well merchandised and nicely maintained
It is. I live like an hour away from the mall
This is the epitome for waaaaaaaait for iiiiit…. 👏👏
This reminds me a lot of 5 points mall in Marion, IN. and I can’t figure out why, because five points is so small. But this place is amazing 😍
4:11 What was going on in the store shell with the dog?
Sad to see the mall like this. I remember the weekend before Christmas 1996 we had to park in the grass behind the mall because the parking lot was so full. I went here from the mid to late 90s. There was people everywhere. It used to be a fun place and with a lot going on. Of course when you're 16 or 17 and first get your driver's license everything was a big deal. I don't know, it just seems public place are at have the capacity they used to be. Not just malls but movie theaters, bars, restaurants bowling alleys all of them are dead. Nobody leaves their house anymore.
I've been waiting for this video for what feels like forever.
From what I heard, there was a karate studio and an arcade back there after it was closed down over 20 years ago. And there's a dancing granny there lol
Always bike around the mall to get to the school. I remember when a lot of these shops were open.
Too bad there was no full footage of what the Mall actually looked like when it was fully in operational?
Great setting for a retro scary movie.
Love the antique look
That end section with the 70's wing. Jeebus! I keep seeing Abba videos!
That hallway was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!! I need to go here for a road trip and take some pictures there!!! That was sooo fascinating!! Do you know what store used to be where the stripes were on the outside?
Pocketchange Park, a local arcade chain. They had a much bigger location on the second floor of Eastwood Mall
Really cool mall. Particularly enjoyed the Busted Bricks Exhibit at 10:54 .
It's an archeological dig. Looking for remnants of shoppers past.
@@bmstylee That may be true.
That vintage area was incredible.
That empty space by Penny’s was the arcade in the late 70s early 80s
WOW, the cage or bars, whatever it's called, around that bonton store are soooo 70's!!!!
09:44 this looks a lot like labyrinths in Liberty Place mall in the heart of Philadelphia, PA. the place used to be packed. This means that dead or zombie malls aren't just a suburban thing. They are a big city thing too. Liberty Place can't even generate the pedestrian sidewalk traffic it once did. The reason why malls in the center of cites collapsed is due to crime and the element that now goes there to socialize and fight with one another. The riots of 2020 placed city malls on life support.
Wonder Claires is still there since they are in trouble. Payless will be gone soon.
you know you're in for a treat when you can't tell if the mall is open, closed, or abandoned based on the front entrance
I've seen so many locations where tiles have buckled. drop ceilings have shown signs of water damage, black mold or just a dirty ceiling or walls are just been left with no proactive repairing of the area, and they are always the point where my eyes are directed to it. Many times these unsightly areas could be repaired for so little and yet they leave it to expand. Are these locations in such bad shape that they leave these eyesores alone and treat their tenants to something that is unattractive?
I appreciate their difficult times, but neglecting them is not the way to turn these centres for Commerce around.This has some potential, and I am wondering how this neglect has become a noticeable theme. Great vlog, mate!
Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus! (Happy St David's Day in Welsh)
@Gary Gans I think it's a case where the owners just don't feel there's any point in spending money on fixing it unless a merchant (or several) actually shows interest in renting a space in the neglected area. If nobody is interested, then the owners do just enough to keep the entire mall from being condemned... but as long as they don't fix it, nobody is going to be interested. It's a vicious circle.
In other words, I agree with you. Neglecting routine (and relatively cheap) maintenance is *not* going to turn things around. Plus, the longer you wait to fix major issues by slapping Band-Aids on them - that is to say, settling for "good enough for now" - the more expensive it's going to be to fix it properly if/when you finally get around to it.
Tenants, how do you think customers feel
This place is a shell of its former self. I remember when I was a kid this place was packed, every store had a store
In that last part, in the 70's vintage area, I found myself checking my cars license plate to see if it was odd or even so I could go get gas on the right day.
Wow! It's hard to believe my local mall is on youtube. I drive by the SVM daily.
Just having the power panels out in the open. Lest see what happens if I just pull this big red knob down...
It would be everything in my power not to play with them. It's like putting a big sign that says "do not touch" and expect me not to touch something.
Interesting video. Thanks for filming.
04:26 hawks cruising outside the mall restrooms LOL
You should really visit the Main Place Mall in downtown Buffalo New York on the weekends. Highly recommended!
bflo716 i have many times
They probably still let you smoke back there 😂
Smokers ruin everything they encounter with their filthy "addiction"
While the 70’s groove is cool I think it’s like this because the various owners can’t afford to renovate. Let’s hope Penny’s hangs in there, otherwise this place will empty pretty fast. Also people have to understand that they need to support these malls if they want them to survive.
One advantage of these rural malls is they don't get as updated like the big city malls. I'd be hard pressed to find any vintage aesthics in any big city mall.
First time I've seen the new intro and I love it!
Hey ACE!! have you ever viewed or visited valley view mall in Dallas!?
OK that hidden wing was rather freaky - talk about late 60s styling gone wild...
Ok, shortly on the left after going into that 70s wing, that looked like the sort of stripes you'd see at an original Time-Out arcade.
Pocket Change Arcade
I'm pretty close to this place, but never felt the need to go there based on its boring starkness. But that hidden wing.. you have me hooked!
Hey. There is Daffins in Sharon. That's worth a drive.
The remaining days of the SV Mall is being used by SV Shuttle service as a bus terminal.
Loved this! Thanks !
09:01 back in the 80s and 90s and early 2000s you'd see these malls picked with young shoppers looking for that new outfit that will get them laid on Saturday night! LOL …but no one really goes out 'clubbing' on weekends nowadays because it's just way too expensive to socialize like that on a regular basis. On a side note: does anyone call it "clubbing" anymore? maybe the fact that people stopped going out on weekends to party means that the term faded into the ether approximately 15 years ago.
Great video Ace! What's the name of that incredible song at 1:20?
Hey buddy, if you haven't already. You should check out Westland mall in Columbus, OH. It's right across the street from the Hollywood Casino. My fiance has a bunch of pictures of it but to see you put your spin on it would be pretty awesome!!
Josh Browning unfortunately it has insane security
I love your intro!
Best intro songs ever
I live near Hermitage (the place where the mall is) and I'm sad to see that it is dying, but maybe it's for the best. Online retailers are the big rage these days.
What is the elevator like?