Cincinnati Shopping Centers of The 50's & 60's (Reading, Kenwood: credit, buying)

[Mid Century Mod]

I am currently doing research for a blogspot that I have recently created (The MALL HALL OF FAME). This blog is an entirely non-commercial enterprise on my part, and is comprised of articles, images and artwork for America's Post War shopping centers. I hope to do several articles about Metro-Cincinnati's regional malls, as well as a few of the major shopping plazas. Currently, I have articles posted about TRI-COUNTY, KENWOOD PLAZA/TOWNE CENTRE and KENWOOD MALL/SYCAMORE PLAZA.

I was just wondering whether anyone on the forum would care to reminisce about any of these shopping centers..........or such malls as SWIFTON CENTER/JORDAN CROSSING, WESTERN WOODS or BEECHMONT. It is nearly (if not) impossible to find out very much about any of these shopping centers in their early days. I would be more than glad to credit anyone (in my finished article[s]) who can provide any pertinent info.

Namely, I would love to find out more about SWIFTON CENTER. It opened in 1956, and was Cincinnati's first (quote/unquote) "shopping mall". I am thinking that the Elder Beerman department store (at the south side of the mall during its SWIFTON COMMONS days) was originally a Mabley and Carew......but, so far, I have not been able to establish this as fact. Also, there -apparently- was a second department store in the original 1956 center. I have no idea what it was. There was also a supermarket in SWIFTON CENTER in those days. Could it possibly have been a Kroger?

Yup.....this is going WAY back in the city's history. Hopefully, these, and other, questions about Cincinnati's "classic mall era" shopping centers can be answered, so that these details can be recorded for posterity before so much time passes that no one can even remember them.

Thanks everyone for reading..........and -especially- thanks for any input that any of you Cincinnatians can provide.

"Mid Century Mod"
North Georgia

[bud03]

My Dad was a maintnance man at Swifton for 10 yrs. I spent every saturday there growing up from 1960-1970. I can answer your questions. Before Its swifton commons days Mabley& and Carew was the biggest department store but there was also a GC Murphy dept. store and an SS Kresgee dept. store, also Wallgreens was a big store there. There was a Kroger and also a Liberal supermarket, there was a fine resturaunt called the Colony and another called the Manor.When Dad started there in 1960 there was 66 stores at the mall.There is a tunnel that runs under the mall for trucks to drop off freight. I learned to drive there in the company pickup truck. I have vey fond memories of Swifton I have been over every inch of it many times with my Dad.My sister and I are going back to visit it this week.

[Mid Century Mod]

Hello "Bud03" and Everyone Else Reading This Post,

I am attaching a rough, "mini-mallmanac" drawing of SWIFTON CENTER, as I believe it was configured in 1956.

To see this drawing, please click on the "Swifton Center 1956 Plan" link below.

I am wondering how the major mall stores (Kroger, Liberal, GC Murphy, etcetera) were configured in the center.

Any details that you (Bud) or anyone else can give will be greatly appreciated (and credited in my Mall Hall Hall Fame / SWIFTON CENTER article).

Thanks,

Mid Cen Mod

[bud03]

As you know Mabley and Carew was on the south side by Langdon Farm rd.The Kroger was on the north east end right by the Manor Resturaunt.A breezeway seperated them from GC Murphy on the N.W.end.The wallgreens was across the mall to the south of GC Murphys.The Liberal supermarket was on the east side about halfway between M&C and Kroger.The Colony Restaraunt was on the west side In the center of the mall, right across from Woodward high school.The SS Kresgee (later K- Mart) was also on the west side to the south of the Colony restaruant.These stores were on the upper level of the center. On the lower level on the east side(the side near swifton village) there was office space for Social Security, Electrolux, and others. There also was a Pasqualies Pizza on the lower south side close to the bottom floor of M&C.The tunnel underneath the mall begins at the N. end of M&C and runs North the length of the mall exiting between Kroger and GC MUrphy. This is the Seymore Ave end. There was only one Real Dept store,Swifton never had a sears or JC Penny.M&C was a huge store with three levels.GC Murphy was the second largest store with two levels.

[bud03]

I would like to be clear about the service tunnel that runs underneath the mall at Swifton Center.The entrance is on the east side of the mall right at the N.end of the old Mabley&Carew store, it runs from East to west for a short distance and then turns sharp right heading north the rest of the way exiting at the north end between GC Murphy and Kroger.When I looked at your blogsite it looked exactly like the old Swifton Center except the tunnels entrance is in the wrong place.I should have been more clear about it.I hope this helps , and if I can do anything more to help let me know

[LH Wildcat]

Another bit of info regarding Swifton... I'm not positive since my memories date only from the sixties but I believe that Mabley & Carew's branch store was originally built by Rollman's Department Store who was one of the center's original developers. I believe Mabley's took over the branch store when they bought out Rollmans and moved their downtown store from the Carew Tower across the street intoa much larger and completely remodeled space on the northwest corner that had been Rollmans downtown location. Pretty sure this happened in the late sixties. Pogues ultimately expanded into the former Mabley space connecting its original Fourth Street space via the Carew Tower Arcade's Ice Cream Bridge.

[Margi]

This is in answer to "Mid Century Mod"

I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and I remember Swifton Shopping Center very well. I went there with my mother on many shopping adventures. In an effort to answer some of your questions, Swifton did have one other department store, it was Murphy's. they had clothing, toys, health items, also had a small snack bar where you could sit at the counter. the basement store had lawn and garden, some furniture and small tools.

there were some restaurants also in the center, The Manor Cafeteria, The Colony, also a butcher shop, and also the grocery store was a Kroger.

Down by Murphy's on the mall area was a small children's ride area.

Many television personalities came to Swifton and they set up stages for them. The one that I rememer the most was from the T.V. show "Family Affair" the little girl, Buffy came with Mrs. Beasley. I hardly got to see her because they carried her in and out. Hope this helps.

[bud03]

This is for Margi, Its nice to have someone to share memories of old Swifton Center; My Dad worked there for 10 yrs and I was there every Sat.from 1960-1970. There was a GC Murphy,SS Kresge,Walgreens,along with Mabley and Carew.There was a Kroger and a Liberal supermarket there at the same time.I remember when Anissa Jones(Buffy) came there in 1969,it was wild.I also remember when Glen (Skipper) Ryle did his show live from the mall.

[slandman]

I graduated from Woodward High School, across the street from Swifton Shopping Center, in 1961. I used to buy hot dogs and root beer at the stand in Murphys. Also in the center was a record store, with private booths that had turntables, and you could listen to records that you were considering buying. Even though we're talking about almost 50 years ago, it seems like yesterday. And in the back was Pasquales Pizza, where we'd go after Friday night football games.

[bud03]

this is for slandman; I remember pasquales pizza very well it was on the lower level, on the back side of the center.My Dad worked at Swifton for 10 yrs.His toolroom was underneath the ramp that went from the upper to the lower level; There was a Liberal supermarket at the top of the ramp.I grew up at Swifton. I was there every weekend during school and almost everyday during the summer months.It just dosen't seem like 45 yrs. ago