Martins Artins Martins Artins (Staunton, VA)

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/lookinthetunk/4374318381/)

Starbucks, Staunton, VA (staying open, September, 2009)

Before I left Mary Baldwin for the Summer I filled out one of those “tell us what you think” pamphlets Starbucks always has siting around. I wrote that I was disappointed that the store was closing. I received this letter last week:

“Hard days at the Mall: Can Staunton Mall endure another near-death experience?”

Article from the Augusta Free Press about how Staunton Mall is dying. I’m mentioned down at the bottom, along with some other people who agree that Staunton Mall is way past its prime.

Me:
“At first it didn’t seem that bad. I mean, there were some empty storefronts and mom-and-pop stores. The Steve & Barry’s was closing, and then when the Books-A-Million closed down, that’s when I really started to notice that it was heading for something pretty bad.”
“My thought when the Steve & Barry’s and Books-A-Million left was, Who is going to move into those spaces in this day and age? It’s not like there are a lot of new anchor stores just looking for a new place to set up. Particularly in a small market like Staunton.”

“Colonial Mall [Staunton Mall] — Augusta, Virginia”

Ryan’s, Staunton, VA (closed ????)

I don’t know when this closed. The ones in Newport News and Suffolk closed like in 2003-ish, so maybe that’s when this one closed too.

I remember when I went to Ghetto Kee Business College, the school would treat us once a month to a meal at Ryans, and the food was always overcooked or bland.
It’s tucked sorta in front of walmart.

Staunton Mall Directory, 1989

(I too cheap to just make a photocopy, so I’m typing it here @ the library)

(the original Staunton Mall post)

The F Stop
Lane Bryant
Hershey’s Jewerlers
Only One Dollar novelities
Burton’s Mens Store
Peoples Drug STore
Staunton Mall Offices
Waldenbooks
Piece Goods Shop Fabrics
JC Penney
K&K Toys
Payless Shoe Source
Woolworth
Fashion Bug
Staunton Mall Movie Theater
Boy’d Hardressers
Fun Time Arcade
Montomery Ward
Big Dipper Ice Cream
Athletic Annex
Matthews Hallmark
Ney’s Alfred Clothing Store
Sidneys
Legget
The Record Corner
Holliday Shoe Store
Kinney Shoe Store
Travel with Joy Travel
Family Barber & Beauty Shop
Radio Shack
Hofheimers Shoes
Sears Surplus Store
The Diamond Corner
Country Cookin
Glassner Jewelers
Lemons Jewerly
Merle Norman Studio
The Cinnamon Bear Bakery
The Mark-it
Altlas Tuxedo
Centerpoint Books
Hip Pocket
Bartley Richard Optical
Hayden Msic of Staunton
The Pearced Ear (yup, spelled that way)

Books a Million, Moved September 2008, Staunton, VA

Ok, so you know last week I visited Staunton Mall for the first time? Well, the girl across the hall from me wanted to find a bookstore, and I told her there was a Books a Million in Staunton Mall, so I drove her there.

THE BOOKSTORE PACKED UP AND WENT AWAY. It was perfectly normal last Friday when we went in there. I thought it had closed down completely, but turns out it just moved to Waynesboro.

Ok, this place is officially a dead mall. I mean its mostly mom and pop places, two of the anchors are closed/in the process of closing, I’m sending my pictures to Brian over at deadmalls.com tonight.

//edit, September 25 2008//

Article from the News Leader’s website:

Staunton Mall, Staunton, VA

So a friend and I visited the Staunton Mall, a few minutes from Mary Baldwin College. We walked in it expecting that it would be dead, but its actually somewhat full, mostly mom and pop stuff, but its full, so I can’t really call it a dead mall. More like a small mall.

Here are some pics I took with my iPhone:

This store was awesome. It was stuck in about 1982.

Steve & Barrys is closing down shop. There was a lot of t-shirts left.

There were a LOT of vending machines here since there are only three tenants in the food court.

Old style Bath & Body Works. I love this design.

///edit, September 21st, 2008///

The Books a Million moved away about a week after I posted this.

//edit, January 27, 2009//

1990 Mall Directory

//edit, March 21, 2009//

I have a Category for Staunton Mall now.

A video from let’s say five, six year ago when Staunton Mall went by the moniker of Colonial Mall

Staples & Taco Bell, Staunton, VA

I think its vintagey Staples. And the Kroger sign is totally vintage.

There is also a very early 90’s Taco Bell in the parking lot:

{this is the best picture I could take from my car}

this place is pink, aqua and white in the inside. Like the early 90’s.

Former Wal Mart; Staunton ,VA

Oh right, I moved to Staunton last week.

The abandoned Lowes next to it is also part of the warehouse. Nice use of a former Wal Mart.