Upper Arlington in Franklin County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Our Early Retail History
Initially there were no stores in Upper Arlington, although the Thompson brothers' sales brochures anticipated their inclusion, promising "playgrounds, schools, shops, churches, civic buildings will all be given a place in the plan." Early residents shopped in Grandview or Columbus until retail stores opened in Upper Arlington.
The First Shops and Services on the Mallway
Mykrantz Pharmacy was the first store to open in the village on December 5, 1925, followed by a Piggly Wiggly next door. The convenient location on Arlington Avenue prospered as Phil C. Houston built an adjacent two-story building at Arlington Avenue and South Mallway in 1926. Don M. Casto began work on a similar building at the corner of Arlington Avenue and North Mallway in 1927.
Other early stores included Kroger, The Arlington Beauty Shop, Ohio National Bank, Warwick's Gift Shop, Ned Harrington's Drug Store, and Angelo DePaso's Arlington Barber Shop.
Upper Arlington's first gas station, Sinclair Oil, was established at the corner of Arlington Avenue and Waltham Road by Henry Miller, the son of James T. Miller.
Expansion Northward
As Upper Arlington's land and population grew to the north, the demand for more localized shopping increased. The first phase of Lane Avenue Shopping Center opened in 1949- when completed, it was the largest shopping center in the city. Some early tenants included Big Bear, McKinley's Drugstore, The Union Company, Isaly's, Lane Theater (which later became Super Duper,) a public library branch, Zeisler Record Store, Kiddie Korner and Lombard's Furniture. Eventually renamed The Shops on Lane Avenue, the site physically changed with the times, initially built as a strip center, then renovated into an enclosed mall, and then returned to its original strip design.
Tremont Center was developed by the King Thompson Company and had its grand opening in December 1951. The existing courtyard once housed a waterfall and had a fenced area for exotic birds. A few original stores remain today including Tremont Pharmacy (1951), Chef-O-Nette (1955), and The Goodie Shop (1955).
Retail Firsts
On August 10, 1963, Leslie Wexner opened his first The Limited store at Kingsdale Shopping Center, with first day sales of $473. Lane Avenue Shopping Center was home to the first Micro Center store.
Erected 2018 by City of Upper Arlington.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1925.
Location. 40° 0.824′ N, 83° 3.999′ W. Marker is in Upper Arlington, Ohio, in Franklin County. Marker is on Tremont Road, 0.1 miles north of Northam Road. Marker is on an island in the parking lot between Upper Arlington library, Tremont Pool, and Tremont Elementary. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2820 Tremont Rd, Columbus OH 43221, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The History Walk and Upper Arlington's Centennial (here, next to this marker); Our Early Development (here, next to this marker); Our School and Libraries (a few steps from this marker); Our Founders (a few steps from this marker); Guiding Our Young Community (a few steps from this marker); Our Community Spirit (within shouting distance of this marker); Our Historic Religious Buildings (within shouting distance of this marker); Our Beginnings: Before 1913 (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Upper Arlington.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 13, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 3, 2023, by Mark Moxley-Knapp of Columbus, Ohio. This page has been viewed 122 times since then and 61 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 3, 2023, by Mark Moxley-Knapp of Columbus, Ohio. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.