Mountaineer Mall, Morgantown, WV | Dead Mall and Mallsoleum for 70's and 80's Retail | ExLog # 19
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- čas přidán 27. 08. 2024
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The 19th episode of the Expedition Log Series is a tour of the Mountaineer Mall in Monongalia County, Morgantown, West Virginia. The aesthetic language of this mall is steeped in the 70's, and has not been touched or renovated since the mid 80's. Preserved within its pristine walls, this mall is a Catafalque...holding the remains of 70's and 80's consumerism. I consider this mall a "Mallsoleum".
Music:
Claude Debussy
Dan Mason ダン·メイソン
Chungking Mansions
-used with the artist's permission-
#Mallsoleum #ExLog #Sal
I had some audio issues, so I needed to pull the first version! Thanks for the patience everyone, and this is the final version!
Happy Sunday, Sal. Thx for sharing another awesome old school mall relic. I always enjoy your mall expeditions, but the malls with the preserved retro vibe, are always my favs. Your totally bitchin lol short of the Mountaineer Mall did not disappoint. This is my favorite current episode to date. Oh and thx for including the sponsorship words by Lums. I never heard of the chain. Love the wood paneling motif. The Lums Restaurant design has this whole tacky Lounge Lizard, "Leisure Suit Larry" vibe about it. Its weird and its wacky, but beckons a 2.0 comeback. Just saying lol. Anyways, once again, thx for continuing to feed us mall rats lol. It is appreciated. Enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend
Thank you, kindly! The Lums was preserved perfectly, I’m sure the inside was too... Happy Sunday!
Hi Sal. Thx for the reply. From the looks of Lums on the outside, I have no doubt, the inside lot space, wouldn't need much help getting it up & running as a new Coffee Shop for the seniors. Hopefully, someone in the community sees the repurposing opportunity & gives it a go.
Thanks Sal, such a good video and you go on details that makes the story more interesting . By the one of your follower from Philippines...
Thank you for watching, Joe!
I love the respect that you have for everything from the architecture to the janitor.
My god i have history there. I shopped at the walmart the last day it was open. Bought stuff at gabes when they took over walmart. Applied to work at the subway in the food court. Went to rex electronics to look at tvs. Bought clothes at elder beerman. And my best friend worked for 2 yrs at teletech. Half my wardrobe came from the goodwill there. I waited for a reprint at the social security office. And i got sick at the chinese buffet - twice.
Your nostalgia made me smile.
And hey man if the senior center stays open one day you can wind it all down there & call it a day! 😆
I worked at teletech for a bit back in 06ish, that place is a dystopian nightmare
"And I got sick at the Chinese buffet - twice." :::LAUGHING::: That was great! 😄
@@wompasdub let's go mountaineers
I spent so much time at this mall growing up. Pizza Inn every Friday night after High School football games. Worked at Montgomery Ward. This was the place to be. Thanks for the memories.
The music is awesome. It really adds to the time warp feel in the recaps.
Wow! Props to the maintenance man!! That place is super clean, presentable and very attractive! Surely he has a staff?? I hope he watches this and gets a chance to see peoples' compliments because it's a hard job and he's doing a fantastic job!
Thanks for the memories. My father worked on that stonework.
Oh Wow!! He did a fantastic job!
I live in Morgantown, this mall is weird indeed. There are many entrances besides the old one in this video. Oddly you left out when of the main reasons this mall stays so clean. The current tenants pay a fee to keep it clean, most of the time tenants argue this. In this case, the tenants happily pay the fee because it allows employees a place to walk a socialize all year around meaning they don't need to go anywhere else during lunch. It keeps employees happy and on time from lunch. I've lived here about 10 years, I've seen many small places go through as well, I used it for a while as place to let my kids run during winter months.
As a local I always love seeing things on WV. Thank you for your wonderful work. It warmed my heart for today ❤️
I've actually toyed with the idea of moving to WVA. Problem is, one needs a car? That is a deal breaker for me.
Spencer Shears Why would you think you wouldn’t need a car...? You need one in most places in the world nowadays. Unless you are 100% self-sufficient.
Hello, friend, I live in NYC and haven't had a car since I lost my farm in NJ fifteen years ago. Sad story.
Spencer Shears I had no idea there were farms in NJ, I thought it was all paved over. Anyway, I’m originally from a big city on the East Coast, in fact I was a police officer there. Finally got tired of it, got tired of the crime, got tired of living piled up on top of each other, like sardines. Got tired of being around random people. Moved out to WV, bought a 45-acre piece of land and house in the hills, for the same price as what would have gotten me maybe a small corner of a shack on the East Coast. By car it takes about 10 minutes for me to even get to a paved road, and then another 30 minutes to get to a town. That’s the way I like it. But that’s not all there is in WV, there are a few cities in WV, such as Morgantown. But it ain’t cheap there, it’s a college town and comparable to East Coast cost of living.
I went to this mall when I visited my cousin during her first semester of WVU this past spring. I found the old architecture super endearing and enjoyed talking with a worker for mylan about what it was like before all the big stores left. My parents attended WVU in the late 80s and early 90s and they were excited to see that the Mountaineer mall was still around. I showed them this video too and they really liked that not much had changed.
So eerie....I’m glad to see this mall being repurposed, but that melancholy vibe is still unshakable. I really love that plaza where you found that little Christmas tree! I would have loved walking around there as a kid. So much to explore. Thanks for another adventure!
Love your style dude! There's a ton of "dead mall" youtubers out there but you took that theme and made it unique and your own. Definitely subbing and looking forward to future expeditions!
Thank you Holly!!! I appreciate that a ton!!! Sooo much more coming!!!
I live in Morgantown!!! I’ve been here countless times! I had such a trippy experience walking through that mall. So I took to the internet to see if anyone else was as intrigued by abandoned malls/establishments as I was and that’s when I found your channel almost 8 months ago!!! I’m so excited to see you came and visited!
The Middletown Mall, which opened in 1969, was also a thriving mall at the time. It was only 20 miles away, and was the first mall in West Virginia. That's where everyone from Morgantown, Fairmont, and Clarksburg shopped until the Mountaineer Mall opened. Even after the Medowbrook Mall opened in 1982 in Clarksburg, the Middletown Mall hung on for another decade or so before going down hill. It still has a few businesses, but is mostly FBI offices now.
Yeesh that highway footage brings back memories of driving through there with long-past-their-prime wiper blades in a rainstorm a few years back *shiver* Great video nice again!!
Kristin Gachassin i had a trip on 68 over the eastern continental divide (negro mountain) in a rental hyundai sonata on bald tires in a snowstorm. That wasnt fun either.
I really enjoy how you put together so much of the history and timeline involving the malls that you are filming, your thorough research is greatly appreciated.
I live in Morgantown and have been to this mall many times. It was really interesting to learn more about the history. Nicely done
Hello. I’m from Morgantown, WV. I still live here, born and raised. This is a excellent piece. I wanted to let you know that when you first point the camera toward the old Lum’s restaurant, to the right of it is where the movie theater was. I loved this mall as a kid.
Michael Musick lol i live here to
Michael Musick I also live here. It's refreshing to see this kind of outlook in our small mountain community.
I have noticed there are many in WV with your surname
I moved to Morgantown in 2017 on Greenbag Road and still in awe of the huge water tower that you can see within 5 miles. With as good of condition the building is in I wish they would use up all the spaces for things such as doctor offices or recreation with it being so close to WVU and how much Morgantown is growing.
Wow its on west nigeria?
Thank you for adding such beautiful music at the beginning of the video, I love classical music, especially Claude Debussy.
Thank you so much!
My parents used to take me there when I was as younger so that I could run around a little bit. I still remember getting so excited to see those model trains. The last time I visited was when I was twelve, and now I live in Nebraska. This mall will forever be a place I love.
Awesome job I miss this mall so much. Used to be a movie theater in there too. Seen E.T., Karate Kid, Jaws, Gremlins there.
I think the future of malls is doing the outdoor malls, people like walking outside these days. One successful example of that is The Village in Meridian, Idaho. I know some malls have done a combo of conventional mall and outdoor mall which is interesting.
I had my very first job at Tele-Tech, always got my lunch from Hometown. I remember as a child going to there for school clothes and now seeing it have any amount of life is really heartwarming. Thank you for doing this.
I love the amount of research you put into these videos. Great job!
My Mom and Grandma used to take me to that mall in the 70s and 80s. Wow brings back memories. Thank you.
I think it’s cool that the mall was able
To revitalize with other type of businesses and to stay a float ! Thumbs up to the new ownership and Management
Having grown up in W PA, I am taken back in time by your videos. I used to pass by on I-79 back in the 80s and while I knew Mountaineer Mall was there, it was never visible. I appreciate that you have a positive spin on your videos, rooting for some kind of renaissance for these near obsolescent methods of retail (at least mostly in the smaller towns).
The mall was actually off of I 68 onto 119. and wouldn’t be seen from 79. You would have had to get off of 79 and go through Morgantown to get to 119 and go to the Greenbag road.
The Repurposed Mall. The first of its kind! Love it. 😆
1) Walmart did have an interior entrance... not sure where you got your info that they didn't...
2) The interior of the mall being open & clean has nothing to do with the senior center being open... in fact, the senior center recently downsized significantly (I'd estimate by 40-50% of their square footage). The guy in charge of maintenance is old school and a clean freak - he takes a lot of pride in how much his floors shine lol. The interior of the mall continues to stay open for the benefits of businesses that don't have an outside entrance (the majority of them) ...like my business.
Yea, I was going to say the Wal-Mart entrance was right next to the Goodwill and GNC, if I remember correctly.
I stand corrected!
Sal no worries man. Overall you did a great job!
Wal-Mart closed their interior entrance a few years before they moved out of the mall
They used to have the best Chinese buffet at this mall. First place I ate in Morgantown it was gorgeous to bad they moved.
I have not been in there for years. Nice to see how clean it still is.
When I was growing up this was THE mall, and where back to school, Christmas shopping and so on was done.
It could get quite crowded, and like many other things that you remember from childhood, it seemed so much bigger then.
Very well done video.
Man I enjoyed this throughly. Learned more about the town I went to school in. Thanks for this.
Been in MGN since 1997 and hadn't been in this mall in YEARS. Was there Monday on a hot day to walk some laps with the Mrs. It was indeed very clean...and a great place to walk. Thanks for the history lesson!
Sal: I was born in 1978; and I’m old enough to remember vintage 1970s malls: Sunrise Mall - Citrus Heights, CA., and Solano Mall (now Westfield Shopping Town), Fairfield, CA. Both of these (still in business), in their day were prime examples of 1970s “mall prosperity”. I just love your channel, which I found today and especially the vintage TV commercials/“sponsors” you air! Keep up the great work!!
I lived in Morgantown my whole life and what a trip it was to watch this,my favorite place was Sam's pretzels,thx for this
This mall is nearly an exact replica of our old Columbus Square Mall (Columbus Georgia ) which opened in 1965. It was among the first Malls to open in the state of Georgia. The City of Columbus exercised an option to purchase it in 1999. Everything was demolished and is now home to our Public library. As a side note, During the streaking fad of the early 70's I made the run from Sears to J.C. Penney's handy side exit to my girlfriends car.
🤣😂
WOW this brings back memories. I was born in 70 and my mom worked at that Montgomery Wards when it opened till about 1980. We lived close enough for me to ride my bike to it from the age of about 8 till 16. ( It was a different time) At age 16 I got my first real job at a pizza place that was across from the movie theater there. Was working there when they built the addition on.Later in my 20s I worked at the Wal-Mart there..Great memories!
I worked at Ames, my friends worked at, I think it was still Children's World then 90, 91. I bet we passed each other more than once.
@MultiplexPalace Not sure if it was original location but it was next to Hot Sam's going down Montgomery Wards wing(later Tellatech). I think it was first or second on the right heading away from center court.
@MultiplexPalace Sorry I can't help you with those. Coles I remember but not the location and Ground Zero's location must have had a store that I didn't like because I remember the stores around it but not what was there. At the end of that hallway was Stone & Thomas, across from it was Rex rent to own and Old Navy, up the ramps from it was a Pet Store and some men's fine clothing store don't remember the name, but no clue what was in that spot.
@MultiplexPalace sorry no clue
Coles was near where TeleTech is. On the right hand side I believe it was about 3 stores down.
I grew up going to this mall both my parents worked there my father was maintenance for many years and played Santa until the "new" mall can't to town... I remember so many of the stores and where they used to be. This was great to see as I have not been home in a long time. I grew up with this mall and 2 other dead malla Middletown mall to the south and Century III to the north. Thank you for a wonderful video!!!
Fascinating work. Well-researched. Very enjoyable.
Thank you Calvin! Make sure to sub and stay tuned...much more on the way!!
I was just there a couple weekends ago. I grew up about 30 minutes from here and went to college at WVU during the first few years following the opening of Morgantown Mall across the river. Not much has changed since you filmed this video. The old Lums had been taken over by the local model railroad club. Lums was truly a time capsule because much of the interior was intact including the tables and chairs. I remember a freestanding Lums in Clarksburg, WV that was torn down to expand a car dealership. Great job on the video!
There is a Teletech that took over a mall in Kalispell Montana and takes up a large chunk of it's multi-use space. It was always odd back as a kid seeing two small malls in a town in Montana with only about 15,000 people total. Both were operating in the 1980's as I remember traveling to them on special weekends. Somehow one has survived, but the Gataway West mall came down hard. Teletech moved in, and I found myself taking a job there when I was "between" things, barely recognized it as my childhood mall until I found the backdoor out.
This is probably one of the best examples of a mall time capsule - The rock walling at the entrance is so cool. Did not know about the mercury lamps were behind the green tint to the mall walkways, very interesting video as always. Some really nice historical information too. Hopefully the interior will be kept open here.
Thanks Jordan! Don’t forget to check out all the social media links and discord server to follow my expeditions in real time!
I remember going to this mall as a kid. We lived in Fairmont, WV at the time. We'd go to either Morgantown or the Clarksburg/Bridgeporrt areas around Christmas time to do some shopping.
OMG that really brought me to tears seeing that. I remember being a child shopping for my brothers' school clothes at Montgomery wards, I remember walking in on the opening day of the "new part" of the mall..... I also remember the day it was to die, the grand opening of "the new mall"
So many memories, so much sadness, so much love.
Thank u for creating this video. many many hearts to u ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you for the kind words, Sarah!
Everybody talks about the fact that the Morgantown Mall killed the Mountaineer Mall, but nobody ever mentions the fact that the Mountaineer Mall killed downtown Morgantown.
You sir are a Gold Standard to the dead/dying and in this case thriving Mall Genre!! Loved the 70s veneer!! Being 43 I miss those times!!
Sal, thank you. Your my new main man for urban exploration videos! The mix of music, cinematography, color, and delivery is defiantly drawing me in. Keep it up, maybe get to the Pacific Northwest sometime.
I used to go there when I was a student at West Virginia University. I remember they had a terrific book store and music store across the hall from each other. There was also a shoe store where I bought a Larry Bird shirt. A friend and me went there to a camera store one weekend when we were planning a reunion of a group of friends one weekend. The mall was losing stores then around the mid 2000’s.
As someone that works in the commercial real estate industry, this is incredible. Thanks for the great work!
Hey thanks!!! I really do spend an enormous amount of time piecing this all together, and scouring documents that seem incredibly foreign...documents you probably read in the blink of an eye...thanks for watching!!!
Great video, love clair de lune, and it's always fun seeing Uncle Miltie in drag! So good that repurposing is actually happening and positive. I'm binging your videos, you do such interesting work, informative. I grew up in Pittsburgh in the 60-70s and have been to a few.
Thanks for watching, Andy!
That’s a beautiful mall, Sal. I don’t quite get the melancholy vibe from watching that video that I get from watching other mall videos. That restaurant front looks beautiful and maybe someone should open up a diner again there someday
Thanks for posting this. I haven't been to the mall in almost 40 years, as I was assistant manager at the toy store there (Children's World).
Another great video thanks again Sal! That's pretty much the same story of what happened to several malls in my part of south central VA. In the Tri-Cities Walnut Hill mall in Petersburg got shuttered when South Park mall in Colonial Heights opened up in 1990 less than 15min away and on the Southside of Richmond when Chesterfield Town Center opened up 10min away around that same time within a decade Clover Leaf mall closed. Both malls got the wrecking ball all because of a new mall opening up minutes away. That's why we have no malls in the area left from the 70's and 80's and that was before online shopping took over America!
It seems like poor location from the get go was already causing Mountaineer Mall problems when it first opened, even though they were pretty much at full occupancy. When the Morgantown mall in the 90's opened Mountaineer was in big trouble, having multiple malls in bigger metropolitan areas was never a problem back then, but being a smaller city its always a problem especially when a neighboring mall is new and much more modern. Then the Wal Mart closed, when a Wal Mart can't survive and they can usually survive anywhere you know that part of town is in trouble!
But I see hope in this place, its very clean the people of the area took pride in that mall! I'm happy to see the mall is being repurposed. I think every community should try its best to repurpose malls, instead of just demolishing them and putting in a Wal Mart, Costco, or trying to bring in a regional Supermarket Chain that's new to the area and building a cheesy strip mall to accompany these huge box chains. A lot of that is happening where I live and I don't like it, its not like we don't have enough of them already! I could go on and on about great ideas to repurpose malls but that's another story for another day.
the Christmas decorations in the center of the mall in 1977/78 were so gorgeous...teddy bears on a candy stick.covered with a crackling clear paper...beautiful. WE LOVED LUMS..ESPECIALLY THEIR ONION RINGS..MY EX AND I ATE THEIR ALMOST EVERY FRIDAY.
I miss the 80's retail look, brings back so many childhood memories growing up in the 80's. There is a Kmart near me now (still open, no clue how) that hasnt changed the interior look since then I go there and get flooded with memory and feel weird.
Aaahhh, Lums. That was the place my parents ate at all the time ( in Arlington, VA) I the 70's and 80's. Thanks for that nostalgic trip down memory lane...
Now to WV's abymissal economic retail past and outlook. As in many places, "big box" stores ie. Walmart, have been the scourge of local economies. So many stores, from Mom n Pop establishments to even midlevel stores were forced out due to the inability to stay competitive against Sam Wahl and others' brilliant " all in one place" retail ideas.
May I offer an example and encourage you to do a story on the rise and fall of downtown nearby Clarksburg.
Once a bustling town of small stores, boutiques, restaurants and larger specialty stores...the community thrived and the streets were never empty. A town known for its friendliness and typical small town charm, was a hub where many travelled significant distances to enjoy the experience.
The Gothic architecture downtown is nothing less than breathtaking (though now crumbling away due to neglect and local politicians/ real estate owners and management companies) The streets were built to accomadate shoppers and once was a safe, attractive place to raise a family.
What happened? Many will give you the 'company line'....the declination of the railroads was Clarksburg's demise, the closing of the glass and marble factories etc etc. I personally dont believe that. Not saying it didnt have some effect, but I believe the culprit was something entirely different, and I will keep this succinct, point by point:
1) the arrival of Walmart, Target, Kmart etc killed small business and eventually killed downtown Clarksburg.
2) greedy, grasping town council that turned down overture after overture of outside businesses...ie. amusement park, convention center etc. Also, with some of the highest B & O taxes in the country, small to large businesses found it not economically viable to plant roots here.
3)old families that have pulled the strings behind the scenes, that hold on to a vast majority of downtown business properties, letting the beautiful architecture decay and molder, and the buildings are now inhabitable due to bat guana, rotting timbers and pigeon droppings.
The cost of renovations to these buildings is prohibitive to any company buying the properties at their ridiculously inflated prices...
4) Last, and sadly important, has been the migration of our brightest and best from the area...leaving for other environs to pursue professional careers that just dont exist here.
Now, the proud "Jewel of the Valley" is a dilapidated, sad and desperate town, crippled by poverty and drug use. The once safe streets are over run with meth and heroin users; large groups of people congregating in front of what businesses that are left and churches, openly shooting up and fighting/ screaming incoherently in the street.
Statistically, Clarksburg leads or did lead the country per capita in violent crimes directly involved w/ drug activity, murders involved w/ drugs, and for a high point?, the highest per capita rate of herpes in the US.
Prostitution is openly practiced, and sometimes understandably, local law enforcement cant keep up and morale is at an all time low.
2/3 of Clarksburg lives off of the 1/3 of the hard working people through exorbitant taxation and Federal programs fueled again by hard working Americans' taxes. If you need an example of how socialism doesn't work, come live in Clarksburg for a year.
The declination of our town/my town will continue. Our state has the richest oil and gas resources as well as coal, yet our people languish in poverty and hopelessness. Those lucky and healthy enough to work in the oil fields and mines do very well for themselves, but the overall stimulus to the local economy is minimal.
Our roads are in some places almost impassable due to neglect, our government pleads poverty (even after an 80+ billion check from the Chinese government), education is at an embarrassing low, recent ly illustrated by the teachers' strike.
Legislation was even recently passed to basically screw land owning families out of their mineral rights, so oil companies can run rough shod right over private property, extracting oil, destroying water sources and land, and using eminent domain to do whatever they want without a cent going into West Virginians' pocket.
If you want to investigate the rise and decline of a once proud, jewel of the hills of WV, Clarksburg...please fell free to contact me. And as always...amazing piece in the old Morgantown Mall. Hope perhaps this gives you some Keaton to work with to dig into the inner workings of a West Virginia town. Thanks and good luck!
a proud, transplanted West Virginian, who works for a local business and has lived in Clarksburg for the past eight years; I realize there is no quick fix it all that will put us back to where we were.
See, out here in this town, people once were kind, neighborly and friendly. .some, actually the majority, still are.
But with poverty and desperation, come the four horsemen of tribulation.
1) Drugs and booze. When you have nothing left to lose, what do most depressed communities turn to? The bars and the corner.
2) Crime. When you are living hand to mouth, and because you are not part of the 'good ol' boy' network, your job outlook here is bleak. Pressure bursts pipes. People, especially young men, turn to violent crime (ie. armed robbery), property (theft of) crimes to make up the difference of not having anything or to support drug habits brought on by the need to numb themselves against their plight.
3) And finally other assaultive type crimes. Assaults against others, particularly domestic incidents due to frustration and hopelessness, random violence directed toward a community that they feel let them down, and finally suicide, sometimes sadly by cop or alone, leaving behind a broken family.
4) And the worse, public corruption. The tentacles of corruption spread far and wide...from Charleston to the local Clarksburg city council. 30 million dollar parking lots, the scooping up of real estate, conveniently condemning it and kicking out the occupants, then quietly buying it and remodeling the existent structure or building a new property on the now vacant lot. So many examples of this....do your own research.
Corrupt business dealings with sizable kickbacks, esp. with mineral rights legislation for the big oil companies, lining their pockets with that oily blood money. Bloated budgets fueled by ever rising taxes for municipal buildings here in town...no oversight of where all the money goes.
And of course these extra school or road project levies that they ride on top of other bills that we vote for, having no idea where the extra money really goes.
As we languish at 49nth in education in the US, all those levies got us some iPads the students dont even use, and underpaid, underqualified teachers who have mostly thrown their hands up out of frustration.
We cant even screen pedophiles and prevent them from being hired into our school systems, causing distrust and suspicion from parents.
And finally, nepotism. It's the biggest, worst kept secret in West Virginia. Whole families are hired on with different companies, both public and private and the saying goes here in WV..."...it's who you know" Hiring is not based on merit or education mostly..its based on who you know or who knows somebody who knows somebody who can get you on at that company. This leaves out alot of people who are more than qualified and mysteriously never get hired.
Lots of other issues...health care, insurance, esp. health insurance, the burden on the state and federal system for food stamps, subsidized housing, rehabs, mental health treatment...list goes on and on.
Clarksburg has become the city if the walking dead, especially at dusk. The working folks are selling their houses at an alarming rate, fleeing to more rural settings (drive through Stealey), the old folks who cant move live behind locked doors, and those if us that work for small local businesses arm ourselves to protect our lives and interests in the case if a robbery. West Virginia needs to drain its own swamp...it needs national exposure to bring its rottenness to the light, and the Jim Justices, Rockefellers, Don Blankenships (Massey Energy) need to be rode out of this state, tarred and feathered.
We need to take our city back and restore Clarksburg to its former glory. Look at pictures done in the evenings of the 50's...the crowded sidewalks of happy, laughing people...spending money with local businesses and eateries, enjoying their evening.
Now, I dare you to try to take that same picture today. Skinny, sore covered, dirty shirtless zombies twitching and walking endlessly through town, church steps and outside of legitimate businesses over run with IV drug users etc, loudly arguing and screaming at each other...fighting, defecating and urinating in the street. As much as the city tries to keep it quiet, stabbings, shootings and other assaultive crimes happen in front of the Gomart and downtown almost on a nightly basis...broken glass and trash pile up. It is not such a nice place to live anymore.
We need people to document this, demand change. They can stop one voice, but they cant stop all of our voices. Deep down, West Virginians are some of the kindest, decent hard working people I have ever met. The state is indeed "Wild and Wonderful"...beautiful vistas, breath taking views, all the beauty and wildness of the Applachian spirit resides here. But we are letting it slip through our fingers, selling our collective soul to the highest bidder...for what??? NOTHING????? Not a red cent, not a thank you or a fuck you...NOTHING?? Wake up Clarksburg, wake up WV before you have given more away than you can ever get back. Folks slaved over this rocky ground so we would have something, and we are pushing it all away. Can you look your grandparents, your great grandparents in the face and truly expect to see pride there??! All you would see is sorrow, pain, regret, anger and betrayal. If you can't make a change for yourself, then do it for those you care most about. #MAGA #MWVGA
I live in Morgantown wv and the mall was amazing a few years before many of the shops closed almost at on time. The mall sets like a historic landmark for our town.
I lived southeast of here in a tiny town called Summersville West Virginia for a year and a half. had no mall within 30 minutes, we either went to Beckley or Charleston. I only went to Morgantown once, I now want to go back and see this mall! I’m now in East Tennessee our dying mall around us is Kingsport Town Center I think it’s called that still it’s got a few stores hanging on! Keep up the good work!
Although mismanagement, and online shopping has played a large role in so many malls going out of business;
another large factor is simply the fact that way too many of these were built all across North America for the number of consumers available. Whoever thought that putting gigantic malls only a few short miles apart, and thinks they will both thrive needs their head examined.
Came for the mall and stayed for the Lums! Uncle Milty never gets old. Oh and I subscribed.
Another"MOLTO BENE" for your EXCELLENT WORK on the MALL Tours,Sal! I had been to The Mountaineer Mall many years ago(Back when I lived in Steubenville,Ohio).I ate @ that Lum's Restaurant(as well as the one in Wintersville,Ohio in front of Mr Wigg's department store).Keep touring those"Tri-State Malls"! Your Piasano from Ohio-Bernardo("Brent the Gent")
I grew up near the Morgantown area That was the most popular mall in the Tri State area in the 70s and early 80s when i grew up.
FYI, the Monongahela river is one of the few rivers that runs north.
Wonderful fact!!
Sal Thanks for your fact, I did not know the meaning of the river's name.
if it runs north where does it empty? Sign me, really curious northerner.
Spencer Shears it flows to a section of Pittsburgh called the point, where the Allegheny and monagaheila meet to form the ohio river. From there it flows into the Mississippi.
Haha I actually work at the JC Penney in the Morgantown mall! Great video. Really captured the whole feeling of our old mall. I always thought that big ramp was awesome too lol
Brother, you get a like just for the music.
Hey thanks :) I think the music choice in the last few ExLogs has been pretty spot on
I can remember when this was the place to go. I used to live just over the hill from there. Thank you. This really brought back some memories of my childhood.
My husband and I visited this mall around 2015 or 16. We were returning from an event and were hoping to get something to eat. We could smell food, but if there was a restaurant open, we couldn't find it. The only things that were open were a kids' bouncy castle playplace and a karate dojo. I feel like I stumbled into a liminal space before they were cool.
I love the vintage Emergency Lights and EXIT Signs from the 80's that are still in service at this Mall... It is truly amazing to see that they have survived and have no been destroyed or replaced. It makes me want to drive to these Malls to try and preserve them before they are lost forever..
Some malls should be preserved and converted into museums in testament to show future generations how people used to shop.
Yesterday I binge watched a bunch of your Expedition Logs. They're GREAT. The history and research you work into them makes me feel like I'm viewing real pieces of retail archaeology that, barring the efforts of people like you, will be lost to time because it's just not something most people document. But it's fascinating, really.
If I could make one slightly selfish suggestion, I love the videos you do most of the places that other major CZcamsrs haven't visited yet, because those are places I've never seen before. However, I'll admit that even the Logs you do of malls that are covered elsewhere often show off aspects, or give historical information about the malls that other people have missed. Your unique perspective is a great, thoughtful one, and if you keep it up you'll really go places with this channel.
Hey thanks for this comment! I really appreciate it! I have an incredible amount of locations filmed and ready to produce, so please stay tuned :)
Great Video! I didn’t grow up in Morgantown, so I don’t know how it used to be. I think it is great that they still have use for the spaces. Particularly, with TeleTech being there. I think they could use the vacant spaces for all kinds of things like doctor’s offices or something. Particularly with how much Morgantown is growing in population with it being home of WVU. I live about 2 miles past the mall on Greenbag Road and I can see the water tower off in the distance.
This is great. You actually panned by my house at the beginning of the video. I am up there at least 3 times a week. either to the gym or the Giant Eagle.
Yay another video! Great job and can't wait to see what else you have.
Thanks!! I’ve been putting the next one off for a while...it was supposed to be the 4th episode, actually...but it’s a special place to me...it’s fully abandoned which I was able to access...but I heard security upstairs...ExLog #20 will be coming soonish :)
Great videos, there is another dead mall you may want to check out in Fairmont, WV. The Middletown Mall. Its about 20 minutes south of the Mountaineer Mall on I-79. I think you can still get inside of it. Its off of exit 132.
How sure are you that it is still accessible? It’s a hike from where I am, needs to be a sure thing.
I just called and asked them if there is still inside access, and the woman answering the phone said there is. The phone number is 304-363-3230. She confirmed there are very few inside stores remaining. I did a little research and it claims to be the first mall to open in WV, opened in 1969.
Wonderful! Thanks so much for your help! You should check out the discord server...we’re all in there doing this live, it would be great to have you! Link is in the description!
The Middletown Mall was the first mall in WV. Don’t wait too long to see it. I heard it has been sold and will be torn down to make way for a Home Depot.
Lynn Poe I hope not!! I lived in fairmont my entire life, and I have so many good memories in that place :(
Is that Michael Jackson at 6:36? You are doing some important work memorializing the rise and fall of the shopping mall phenomenon that occurred for only a short window in the big picture of time. I like how you document the money trail and the who was involved along with some anecdotes as to the why. You have a soothing voice that is easy to listen too. Outstanding Job on these videos. Thanks for taking the time.
as usual your content and amazing commentary are just perfect! I loved this vid and I look forward to many more from you! Well done!!
Thanks so much, Jazzy Babe!! Make sure to follow the Expedition in real time through my Twitter/instagram/discord links in the description!
I've got you on Twitter - I'm Jasmine James (@ElegantString) on there......and I'm following you....(you can follow me if you like :D ) I observe Instagram but as I am only the last person in the world without a cellphone I dont' have an Instagram account....and I've not done Discord - never heard of it actually but yeah - I do follow you besides on here ;)
You rock :)
I went to the this mall opening day, I was around 9 years old. It had a Dueling Optical, Radio Shack, Record Bar, Sweet Williams, Children's World, The Bottom Half, Action Hardware, The Yard Barn, Susie's Casuals, CB&T Bank, Pizza Inn, a movie theater, Thrift Drug, Chuckles Arcade, JP Penney, Montgomery Wards, Murphy's Mart, Lums, Weiner World, Mister Pretzel, Spencer's Gift Shop, Hickory Farms, Kay's Jewelers, and another Jewelry shop across from it. Least to say it was a big deal, I have vague memories of it.
We need more malls that still looks like that. Also another example how to repurpose the property so it doesn't go into decay.
I'm from Morgantown. The mall actually closed in the late 90's. My son, born in 1995,use to run up and down the ramp when he was around 4 or 5. It was a nice mall back then.
Favorite mall yet
Thanks so much for watching :)
I miss the harsh blue-green mercury vapor lighting (4:36) so common in the '70s.
Me too..
This video gave me chills... I remember going into The Mountaineer Mall back in 2013 (my last year) to get stuff for Halloween! I even bought a few books and shirts in the Goodwill store that was in there. Although out-dated, it's cool that I've had the "honor" of shopping there. #HailWV
You certainly lived up to my expectations here Sal. Great job
Thank you for the tour and historical information on this beautiful time capsule mall, Sal! I am continuing to work my way through watching all of your aweosme videos, and I love them; I even love the video of the drive to the malls, seeing all these beautiful places including West Virginia :) I also love the music and the Retro Vintage commercials at the beginning of the videos - especially Milton Berle in the Lums Restaurant :) Well its on to Glen Burnie in the next video, awesome :)
I'm in that mall every week, checking out the thrift store 'Animal Friends'. It supports a local shelter, run by volunteers. You didn't mention the Art Association which is open a few days a week. I have never been there when there weren't several walkers getting in some exercise.
My interest in this subject was sparked by the Fallout franchise of video games, set as they are in an underpopulated post-apocalypse United States.
So it gives me a double dose when you go to Morgantown, which is depicted in the Fallout 76 title along with greater West Virginia.
I Didn't have much hope of recognising any landmarks, but there on the mural at 14:50 appears Vault-Tec University! The game designers did a good job there.
So greets from England, where abandoned malls don't much, so please continue providing this flaneur's fix.
Another document of unrivaled impact, Sal.
Wow...cool. I went to school at WVU from 1978 to 1982. Did a 24 hour dance-a-thon for charity in the center of the Mall. Nice to see that it is repurposed. Great job on the video my friend.
finally a CZcamsr that uploads abandoned malls a lot! I do think this channel is great since I have a thing for watching dead malls.
I loved the play out of this mall over the one across town
WOW! Beautiful. Great video Sal!
That mall is only a few miles from me, and back when, it was a really nice place. A very relaxed atmosphere for sure. I'm glad to see it kept up and clean.
I love how old malls have train dioramas.
two letters. V.R. ... map the place and encourage ALL the aspects of virtual reality.
Thanks for posting.
America still has so much going for it...
You really do make the best videos. They make me thankful I grew up in the 80s and 90s. 💖
I practically grew up going to the Mountaineer Mall!
Catalfalque. I will always remember who inculcated the word on me. I will now endeavor to work it into everyday conversation.
Thanks Sal. Keep up the good work (and music)!
I don't live too far from here. Just a few minutes south on I79 and you hit Fairmont which has the Middletown mall. It's in pretty bad shape but is under new ownership and there are plans to revamp/revitalize it.
I remember the addition being built.Giant Eagle was on the hill moved below when it was built.When it was the only mall in Morgantown.good video
This is my favorite mall I have ever visited❤️❤️❤️
Glad to see a new upload again from you Sal! I always enjoy these videos