From the Detroit Free Press, November 28, 1976:
- Windsor’s Devonshire Mall, where you can find European clothes and children’s toys, inexpensive crystal, genuine Delft, and English Christmas delicacies.
How things change.
Have a good weekend everyone, see you back here Monday.
I’d like to see more of these.
The mall changes so often that an entire site could be dedicated to it.
Looking at this photo gives me an urge to watch Dawn of the Dead
Tip Top looks to be in the same location as it is currently. On the left is the womens’ store “Town & Country” – was part of Dylex – who later used the location for “Braemar” (it’s now American Eagle Outfitters)- next store down looks like possibly another Dylex banner–Fairweather/Big Steel Man. I believe Fairweather still occupies part of the location pictured–albeit abbreviated space. That old Sears signage survived intact until not that long ago.
This mall’s got everything!
The Oldsmobiles are in early this year!
Any idea what store was in in current Gap back in the 70’s or early 80’S? they had a christmas display in the window with motorized elves building toys.
What great interior design. I find today’s Devonshire a campy mix of styles that don’t fit well together and have little consideration for public space. The food court is discusting, it’s like walking by feeding time at the zoo. Mothers in track pants feeding snotty crying kids, I’d rather NOT see that!
FM, wow, you just brought back a long forgotten memory! I used to beg my parents to let me stay in front of that store window to watch that Christmas display. Sorry I don’t remember the store, I hope someone else does.
@Alex. Congratulations, you’ve just described every mall in north America. Give up on commerce if that is you’re opinion.
Nice picture – I’d like to see more of Devonshire mall on this site because it has changed so much over the years. My memories of the mall start around 1984, Dairy Queen and the cinema with a massive crystal chandilier. The Bay (or was it Simpsons) had a Christmas display in the basement w/a talking xmas tree. I remmeber how excited we were when the food court was put in and you could walk “in a circle” around the whole mall. Then another massive store was sold off and turned into the hall that leads to Zellers. I forget the name but it was a lot like Wolcoo. And who can forget the “naked statue” .. too bad the mall didn’t keep its 1967 decor, had character at least.
Christopher L, the store you are thinking of was called Miracle Mart, which was located pretty much right next to Miracle Food Mart. Miracle Mart was subdivided into small stores in the late 80s (with the Zeller’s addition being built a bit later), and Miracle Food Mart became an A&P for a while until Chapters moved in.
Seems strange to think about going to the mall to get groceries. My family mainly shopped at the Yorktown N&D, but Miracle Food Mart at the mall was an occasional stop as well.
Miracle Mart, grocery and department stores where origanaly Steinburgs (remember the joint
grocery,department store downtown, short life) The idea of grocery stores in malls (University mall Strinbergs,Tecumseh Mall Dominion and above mentioned DEvonshire Mall, sort of takes in all three Windsor malls.Miracle Mart,(Steinberg) Dominion Stores, where purchased in the eighties by A&P, now Metro.
~ The Miracle Mart grocery store at Devonshire, was always very busy. I guess I’m not the only one who thought it was a great idea.
A story I heard about Miracle Mart at Devonshire Mall, and Dominion Store at Tecumseh Mall
left after a deal with A&P the owners of these chains to move from the malls. I guess that the Miracle Mart at University was the main draw there, so it still remains as Metro.
Anyone remember the old Shell gas station and car wash at the south end of the parking lot?
Simon Suds
I remember when I was little The Dilly Shop was where The Gap is now. At least I think it was in that spot. I do remember the cool Christmas displays!
I use to remember when the mall had those fountains from almost every entrance back in the mid 90s. I always begged my parents for pennies and I would throw them into the fountains.
I remember when the mall expanded it’s first time, accomodating “Samco” and Simpson Sears. As a kid I climbed into the huge hole they excavated for Simpson Sears – got trapped inside and had no way of getting out until a racoon appeared. I sliced my hand, hurt my leg and bruised a few places trying to get out of there – lol
The Dilly shop was cool! I happened to explain this past weekend, to my 20 year old daughter, that the wing where tim horton’s is at use to be two restaraunt/bars. Steak n’ Burger, Brew n’ Burger. She didn’t believe me when I told her the administration offices upstairs (nest to West 49) is where the public washrooms used to be.
I thougt the present Sears store was part of the original mall, it is different from the rest because either Sears owned the building or had it built to their plans. This store was first labeled Simpson-Sears, later changed to Sears,you might be able to see the outline of the name on the Howard Av. wall.
Simpsons was the addition that is now The Bay, thats probabily when the other store became Sears.
Sears Robeck first got involed with Robert Simpson Co. in 1954 buying into the catalouge end of the company.
For a while, you could still the scar of the Simpson’s logo on the back-side of The Bay, but I think with the last addition around the GoodLife Fitness, it was covered up, I think.
I wish there was more on the mall, and some kind of timeline. I remember those creepy statues in the food court, when I was a kid. They kinda scared me. I know they had the bench/garbage/planters for quite a while, because I distinctly remember them, and I was born in 1982. Devonshire had an auto scrolling slideshow with old pictures, about 6 months ago, but when I went to look again, shortly after, it was gone. I don’t know why.
I don’t remember Miracle Mart, and A&P at the mall sounds only vaguely familiar, but I thought the area that has Chapters was new for Chapters. I kind of vaguely remember something about a movie theatre being there before the current one, but not sure. Where was it? I do recall the Art Gallery moving in, and I even went through it with my friends when it was there (they had a wooden pin-ball machine that still worked and took nickels). And I remember the Dairy Queen having an actual restaurant, I think where West 49* is now. I think it was a Burger King too, for a little bit, until that moved to what I thought was a newer section (now it’s bathrooms and a sitting area). There’s been so many changes that even I can remember (or just barely remember, or maybe they’re false memories from reading things on here 😀 ) It would be really cool to have a timeline and floorplan looking through the years. Even though Devonshire Mall brought along the death knell to downtown shopping in Windsor.
Uzzy, there was a theatre, I think 3 screens. I still remember te seats were awfull. It was located in the middle wing between Laura secord and the bay. I too remember the statues, one of them was a figure riding a unicycle with another figure upside down on its shoulders while doing the splits with its legs. (Or something like that).