WASHINGTON SQUARE MALL: HOMEWOOD, IL
Karen Puente's Commentary
Posted March 29, 2006 (user submitted)
I wanted to share with you a mall that was very near and dear to my childhood
heart, Washington Square Mall. It was located in Homewood IL at about 173 and
Halsted. This was the place to be on a Saturday afternoon!
It probably opened
in the early to mid 70's. There was a Dominick's grocery store on one end, but
you couldn't enter the mall from there. Right next door was KMart and you could
enter through there. The other end of the mall was Service Merchandise, the tag
store, as my sisters and I called it. You couldn't buy anything on the catalog
showroom floor. You had to take a tag off the item and go over to either a
sales person or back then, one of the first self serve computer stations called
"Silent Sam".
Right outside Service was the Dianna Theaters. At first there was
2 screens, then they cut the theaters and made 4. That was the place to be. I
remember the "special sneak peek screening" my friends and I went to, Pee Wee's
Big Adventure! There was an arcade, Claire's, Stuart's Clothing, Bernina's,
County Seat, Waldenbooks, Walgreen's WITH a Wag's counter resturaunt, Hot
Spot, Modern Tuxedo, a couple little jewelery stores, a Mr. Sub and a Joann
Fabrics. The heyday of this mall came and went. I rememeber when it started to
die down with more people heading to the bigger and brighter Lincoln Mall in
Matteson or Orland Mall in Orland Park. Wag's was the first casualty. It was a
sad day when we could no longer have a fountain chocolate shake and fries after
a show. Soon the game room closed followed by many of the old favorites. Waldenbooks left and when KMart closed it's doors, it left the south end of the mall
a virtual ghost town. Smaller mom and pop shops came and went and finally the
theater was shuttered. When the final store pulled out and the mall was closed
forever, I cried. I remember when they demolished it, my sisters and I went
back, inside you could see the old store signs and the rememnants of Christmas
decor. Huge ornaments hanging from the collapsing ceilings. When the walls came
down, I remember some of the rubble was close enough to the barracade that we
each took a tiny piece, to always treasure our childhood weekends at the mall.
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Larry Andy Guerrette’s Commentary:
User submitted in 2021The Washington Square Mall in Evensville IN lost its Sears and Debs, last i knew the who mall is dead to no stores the health wing is still open i think.
Jim Montgomery’s Commentary:
User submitted in 2021Washington Squre was indeed opened in 1963, it was the first encolsed mall in Indiana. And the two origonal anchoes were Sears on the north end and A&P Supermarket on the south end.
James McMahon Jr’s Commentary:
User submitted in 2020I pushed a lot of quarters into that arcade!
Monica Watson West’s Commentary:
User submitted in 2020My mom worked at Personality plus , a small jewelry and handbag store near the middle entrance next to the ice cream parlor. I spent many fun weekends there when I was around 10-15
Jay Eckberg’s Commentary:
User submitted in 2019My mom worked at the Fashion Bug that was there located right by Mr. Submarine.
Gill Gillono’s Commentary:
User submitted in 2019There was a Fredericks of Hollywood & Rogers & Hollands. My 1st love worked there. I worked at the Sweet Shoppe kiosk in the middke ofbthe mall as well as a Sunglass kiosk. This place changed my life.
Cyndi Glass’ Commentary:
User submitted in 2018Washington Square Mall opened in 1963, not the 1970s or 1980s.
Stephany Herzer’s Commentary:
User submitted in 2018I want a list of every store that has come and gone in the mall. Along with events that took place there.
Zeek Nawawa Henley’s Commentary:
User submittedI worked at the one hour photo booth, my first job lol.