Today in Wheeling History: November 1—J.C. Penney Department Store opens as one of the original anchor tenants at the Ohio Valley Mall in St. Clairsville, serving the Wheeling area (1978).
On November 1, 1978, J.C. Penney officially opened its new 155,000-square-foot department store at the Ohio Valley Mall near St. Clairsville, Ohio, marking a significant retail shift for the Wheeling area. The opening ceremony featured Max Coats, the store manager who formerly supervised the downtown Wheeling location, and Miss Ohio 1978, Sher Patrick, sharing scissors for the ribbon-cutting before hundreds of shoppers. District Manager Karl Scheffer joined other company dignitaries for the celebration that began at 9:45 a.m.
The new store represented J.C. Penney's 85th location in Ohio and was considered one of the chain's most complete department stores due to its extensive size and offerings. Built on two levels with a freestanding 12,000-square-foot auto center, the facility featured the fullest collection of fashion apparel available in the nationwide 1,500-store chain, along with appliances, furniture, sporting goods, a restaurant, and a beauty salon.
J.C. Penney's presence at the Ohio Valley Mall resulted from the failed Fort Henry Mall proposal in downtown Wheeling. After Wheeling voters rejected the urban renewal project in 1973, the company—along with Sears and Montgomery Ward—shifted their commitments to the Belmont County location. The store had operated in Wheeling's McFadden Building at 1122-24 Market Street since 1937, remaining downtown for over four decades before the mall relocation.
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library, Wheeling WV; J.C. Penney Officially Opens New Mall Store - Wheeling News-Register (https://tinyurl.com/2uyemkfd), Ohio Valley Mall History – Times Leader (https://tinyurl.com/3vz4k7aj), Remembering Retail – Ohio Valley Mall Opening (https://tinyurl.com/3b5hfys4), Lede News – Changing Face of a Hometown (https://tinyurl.com/49uy5wrv), Archiving Wheeling – Fort Henry Mall & Urban Renewal (https://tinyurl.com/mr3r4bwj), Ohio County Public Library Flickr page (https://tinyurl.com/mry2nehf)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library, Wheeling WV; Wheeling News-Register
On November 1, 1978, J.C. Penney officially opened its new 155,000-square-foot department store at the Ohio Valley Mall near St. Clairsville, Ohio, marking a significant retail shift for the Wheeling area. The opening ceremony featured Max Coats, the store manager who formerly supervised the downtown Wheeling location, and Miss Ohio 1978, Sher Patrick, sharing scissors for the ribbon-cutting before hundreds of shoppers. District Manager Karl Scheffer joined other company dignitaries for the celebration that began at 9:45 a.m.
The new store represented J.C. Penney's 85th location in Ohio and was considered one of the chain's most complete department stores due to its extensive size and offerings. Built on two levels with a freestanding 12,000-square-foot auto center, the facility featured the fullest collection of fashion apparel available in the nationwide 1,500-store chain, along with appliances, furniture, sporting goods, a restaurant, and a beauty salon.
J.C. Penney's presence at the Ohio Valley Mall resulted from the failed Fort Henry Mall proposal in downtown Wheeling. After Wheeling voters rejected the urban renewal project in 1973, the company—along with Sears and Montgomery Ward—shifted their commitments to the Belmont County location. The store had operated in Wheeling's McFadden Building at 1122-24 Market Street since 1937, remaining downtown for over four decades before the mall relocation.
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library, Wheeling WV; J.C. Penney Officially Opens New Mall Store - Wheeling News-Register (https://tinyurl.com/2uyemkfd), Ohio Valley Mall History – Times Leader (https://tinyurl.com/3vz4k7aj), Remembering Retail – Ohio Valley Mall Opening (https://tinyurl.com/3b5hfys4), Lede News – Changing Face of a Hometown (https://tinyurl.com/49uy5wrv), Archiving Wheeling – Fort Henry Mall & Urban Renewal (https://tinyurl.com/mr3r4bwj), Ohio County Public Library Flickr page (https://tinyurl.com/mry2nehf)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library, Wheeling WV; Wheeling News-Register
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