Macy's (former Macy's, Rich's, and Rich's-Macy's before conversion back to Macy's), Macon Mall, Macon, Georgia. Upper level mall entrance. (courtesy cantnot at Grocerying)


Macy's (former Macy's, Rich's, and Rich's-Macy's before conversion back to Macy's), Macon Mall, Macon, Georgia. Sign for down escalator. (courtesy cantnot at Grocerying)

Macy's (former Macy's, Rich's, and Rich's-Macy's before conversion back to Macy's), Macon Mall, Macon, Georgia. Mall entrance. (courtesy cantnot at Grocerying)

The Many Faces of Belk, Monroe, North Carolina

UPDATED with new pictures and text (3/2/08)

The twentieth century was a time of major changes for American retail. Simple downtown dry goods stores evolved into full line department stores and then moved to the suburbs.

One excellent example of this is the Belk in Monroe, North Carolina. Below you can see the one hundred year evolution of what was a small dry goods store (in 1888)to a typical small town department store (in 1950) into a modern regional destination (by 1960) that eventually relocated to a regional mall (in 1979) to capture even more sales, and is still successful today.

Many thanks for Patrick Richardson for providing most of these historic photos.

Belk, Monroe, North Carolina. Original "New York Racket" dry goods store, late 1800s. (Courtesy Pat Richardson)

Belk, Monroe, North Carolina. Exterior on sale day, July 19, 1934. (Courtesy Pat Richardson)

Belk, Monroe, North Carolina. renovated exterior, 1940s. (Courtesy Pat Richardson)

Belk, Monroe, North Carolina. 1950's shoe salesman Hadley Helms. (Courtesy Pat Richardson)

Belk, Monroe, North Carolina. 1950's saleswoman. (Courtesy Pat Richardson)

Belk, Monroe, North Carolina. circa 1955. (Belk, Inc.)

Belk, Monroe, North Carolina. Harvest Sale w/ William Henry Belk enjoying the proceedings, 1950. (Courtesy Pat Richardson)

Belk, Monroe, North Carolina. Remodeled exterior, sometime in the late 1950s. (Courtesy Pat Richardson)

Belk, Monroe, North Carolina. A typical shopping scene from the 1950s. (Courtesy Pat Richardson)

Belk, Monroe Mall, Monroe, North Carolina. Exterior entrance, 11/2/06. (Pat Richardson)

Previously on LiveMalls
Belk, Monroe Mall
The Belk Archive

former Sears, SouthPark mall, Charlotte, North Carolina. Grand Opening advertisement, 1970. (courtesy Pat Richardson).

Previously on LiveMalls
former Sears, SouthPark
SouthPark: The Early Years

Belk, SouthPark mall, Charlotte, North Carolina. Fairview Road exterior entrance at night, circa 2003 (courtesy Pat Richardson)

Previously on LiveMalls
Belk, SouthPark
The Belk Archive

Also check out
Charlotte Eats (Pat's new blog)

Belk, Alamance Crossing, Burlington, North Carolina. Photographed 1/21/08.

Previously on LiveMalls
Belk, Burlington Square Mall

Dillard's (former Meyers, Jordan Marsh and Ivey's), Four Seasons Town Centre, Greensboro, North Carolina. Photgraphed 1/21/08.


Dillard's (former Meyers, Jordan Marsh and Ivey's), Four Seasons Town Centre, Greensboro, North Carolina. Photgraphed 5/8/05.

Previously on LiveMalls
Dillard's (former Meyers, Jordan Marsh and Ivey's), Four Seasons Town Centre

JCPenney, Macon Mall, Macon, Georgia. Mall entrance. (courtesy cantnot at Grocerying)

JCPenney, Macon Mall, Macon, Georgia. Vintage view of mall entrance. (courtesy Keith at Malls of America)

JCPenney, Macon Mall, Macon, Georgia. Exterior entrance. (courtesy cantnot at Grocerying)

Dillard's, Macon Mall, Macon, Georgia. Exterior entrance. (courtesy cantnot at Grocerying)

Dillard's, Macon Mall, Macon, Georgia. Mall entrance. (courtesy cantnot at Grocerying)

Belk, Macon Mall, Macon, Georgia. Exterior entrance. (courtesy cantnot at Grocerying)

Belk, Macon Mall, Macon, Georgia. Mall entrance. (courtesy cantnot at Grocerying)

JCPenney, Valley View Mall, Roanoke, Virginia. Remodeled lower level entrance. Photographed 1/12/08.

Previously on LiveMalls
JCPenney, Valley View Mall

Dillard's, Short Pump Town Center, Richmond, Virgina. Upper level side exterior entrance. Photographed December 15, 2007.

Eastland Mall, Charlotte, North Carolina. Menu for Tuesday's, a restaurant in the mall, circa 1978. (courtesy of Pat Richardson)

Previously on LiveMalls
Eastland Mall, Charlotte, North Carolina

Dillard's, Stony Point Fashion Park, Richmond, Virgina. Exterior façade facing Chippenham Parkway. Photographed December 15, 2007.

Dillard's, Stony Point Fashion Park, Richmond, Virgina. Exterior entrance facing Chippenham Parkway. Photographed December 15, 2007.

Macy's, Valley View Mall, Roanoke, Virginia. Lower level entrance. Photographed 11/21/07.

Macy's Home & Children's Store, Valley View Mall, Roanoke, Virginia. Lower level entrance. Photographed 11/21/07.

Previously on LiveMalls
Macy's (former Hecht's and Thalhimers), Valley View Mall

JCPenney, Tanglewood Mall, Roanoke, Virginia. Photographed 11/21/2007

JCPenney, Tanglewood Mall, Roanoke, Virginia. View of side entrance. Photographed 11/21/2007

Previously on LiveMalls
JCPenney, Tanglewood Mall

Tanglewood Mall, Roanoke, Virginia. Renovated east exterior entrance near JCPenney. Photographed 11/21/07.

Previously on LiveMalls
Tanglewood Mall, Roanoke, Virginia

Eastland Mall (Charlotte, North Carolina) Video, December 1979

Here's a home video of Eastland Mall, Charlotte, North Carolina, from Christmas 1979. Check out a great view of the ice rink taken from the down escalator.

Thanks to Pat Richardson for posting this video clip at YouTube

Belk Intimate Apparel Sale, 1996

Thanks to Pat Richardson for posting this video clip on YouTube.

Rockin' Shoppin' Eve 2006

Four Seasons Town Centre, Greensboro, North Carolina. Scenes from the first annual Rockin' Shoppin' Eve, November 24th, 2006. (photographed with camera phone)

Along with several other malls owned by General Growth Properties, Four Seasons Town Centre celebrated the biggest shopping day of the year with an all night shopping party. The first Rockin' Shoppin' Eve was a success, and the mall plans to do it again this year on November 23rd, starting at 1:00 AM. Enjoy great bargains, exclusive discounts, free giveaways, rockin' entertainment, and much more!

For more details on this year's event, check out Four Seasons Town Centre's Website.

Charlotte Retail Memories

A public TV retail segment featuring George Ivey of the Ivey's department Store chain. It looks at both Belk and Ivey's, Charlotte's dominant downtown retailers.


This clip features Charlotte retailers John Belk of Belk, Inc. and Leon Levine of Family Dollar Stores, Inc. There are lots of interesting clips -- a quick shot of Charlottetown Mall (and the Charlottetown Cinemas sign), the implosion of the downtown Belk store (!), early picture of the SouthPark fountain, and more.

Thanks to Pat Richardson for posting these video clips on YouTube.

Belk, Monroe, North Carolina. Harvest Sale w/ William Henry Belk enjoying the proceedings, 1950. (Courtesy Pat Richardson)

To celebrate Belk's 100th Anniversary in 1988, a unique collage featuring memorabilia from Belk and Leggett’s' first 100 years in business was created. Here is a diagram of some of the items on the collage. (Courtesy Pat Richardson)

Belk, Monroe, North Carolina. A typical shopping scene from the 1950s. (Courtesy Pat Richardson)

Previously on LiveMalls
The Belk Archive

Carolina Place (Pineville, North Carolina) Commercial, early 1990s

Thanks to Pat Richardson for posting this video clip on YouTube.

Belk Pre-Thanksgiving Sale - mid-1990s

Thanks to Pat Richardson for posting this video clip on YouTube.

Belk, SouthPark mall, Charlotte, North Carolina. Artist's rendering of proposed Sharon Road facade, 1969. (courtesy of Pat Richardson)

Previously on LiveMalls
Belk, SouthPark
The Belk Archive

Hudson Belk, Crabtree Valley Mall, Raleigh, North Carolina 10/20/07

Previously on LiveMalls
Hudson Belk, Crabtree Valley Mall

Macy's (former Hecht's), Crabtree Valley Mall, Raleigh, North Carolina 10/20/07

Previously on LiveMalls
Macy's (former Hecht's), Crabtree Valley Mall

Sears, Crabtree Valley Mall, Raleigh, North Carolina. Photographed 10/20/07.

Previously on LiveMalls
Sears, Crabtree Valley Mall

Macy's (former Hecht's), Marlow Heights Shopping Center, Marlow Heights, Maryland. Recreated front facade using original "The Hecht Co." logo.(Neil Strawbridge).

Macy's (former Hecht's), Marlow Heights Shopping Center, Marlow Heights, Maryland. (Neil Strawbridge).

Macy's (former Hecht's), Tysons Corner Center, McLean, Virginia. Loading area. (Neil Strawbridge)

Macy's (former Hecht's), Tysons Corner Center, McLean, Virginia. Exterior entrance. (Neil Strawbridge)

Previously on LiveMalls
Macy's (former Hecht's), Tysons Corner Center