Wheaton Then and Now: Wheaton Plaza

The Wheaton Mall (Wheaton Plaza) opened in Wheaton in 1959. It was an open mall with one plaza anchored by Montgomery Ward Department Store (now Target) and Woodward and Lothrop Department Store, (now J. C. Penny).

Giant Foods was there before the mall opened and had no entrance from the Mall. Here are some more of the original businesses: Doctor’s Pet Shop, Kresge’s Drug Store, Calby’s Clothing, Sirloin and Saddle Restaurant, Embassy Father and Son Clothing Store, Leonard’s Draperies (later changed to Danneman’s Fabric Store), Wheaton Lowes Movie Theatre, Beckers Shoes, Variety Records, Charcoal House Restaurant, Farrell’s Ice cream parlor. Later, other stores included Bo Peep Clothing, Federal Bake Shop, Tiara Gifts, Gilbert’s Camera, Wheaton Plaza Hi-Fi, Lamps Unlimited, a Dry Cleaners, Guardian Federal Bank, A GEICO agents office, Jellef’s, Fannie MayCandies, Peoples Drug Store (now CVS), Learners Shop, and a travel agency.

I am sure there were more businesses that did not turn up in my research. For kids growing up in the 1960s, Wheaton Plaza was the place to go for fun.

If any of you are interested in more on the Mall and interesting stories from former and current “Wheatonites”, go to this blog at http://www.labelscar.com/maryland/westfield-wheaton-plaza

Let us know what you know about Wheaton History. Contact Marian Fryer at mafryer@verizon.net