Exploring the Abandoned Ruins of America’s Oldest Mall from 1818

Located in Baltimore, Maryland is an outdoor mall, the oldest in the country still in operation dating back to 1818. The first Georgian style buildings were constructed to give more business to other middle class neighborhoods, and give less stress to the bustling downtown of Baltimore. The first stores opened were food markets and traders, but soon the strip of street would become a town favorite for all types of retail shopping. From the newest clothes, shoes, fashion, to new music and buying furniture, all types of businesses can still be seen on the decaying storefronts. The mall peaked around the 1950s-60s but after the race riots of the late 60s, much of the buildings were burnt down or left broken. After the damage, the city had one more redevelopment left spending 1.7 Million dollars, the street was repaved with bricks; planters, street lamps, and trees were added; and even a fountain was installed in the center along with a clock tower that would bear the name of the mall.

This made business return temporarily, but only a few years later, much of the buildings started to look like how they did before the redevelopment and since the 1990s much of the mall has been frozen in time.

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