You are here

West Virginia » Eastern Panhandle » Berkeley County » Martinsburg » Blue Ridge Outlet Center

Blue Ridge Outlet Center

-A A +A
c. 1890s, 1984. 300 and 400 blocks of West Stephen St.

Many former textile mills remain in Boom Town, including the Interwoven Mills, once the largest manufacturer of men's hosiery in the world. The adaptation of former mills into retail outlets began in 1984, when the Blue Ridge Outlet Center opened in the former Crawford Woolen and Cashmere Mills. The center and its satellites later expanded into other mills, making Martinsburg a mecca for bargain hunters. Generous fenestration provided ample light—originally for factory workers, later for shoppers—in the forthright brick buildings, which were adapted to their new use with little damage to their integrity. Around 2000, many of the outlets closed because of competition from other discount malls. Current plans call for the buildings to be reconditioned and sold as a government center.

Writing Credits

Author: 
S. Allen Chambers Jr.
×

Data

What's Nearby

Blue Ridge Bank (Berkeley County Jail)
USFAA Records Center (U.S. Courthouse and Post Office)
YMCA
Boydville
St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church

Citation

S. Allen Chambers Jr., "Blue Ridge Outlet Center", [Martinsburg, West Virginia], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/WV-01-BE6.1.

If SAH Archipedia has been useful to you, please consider supporting it.

SAH Archipedia tells the story of the United States through its buildings, landscapes, and cities. This freely available resource empowers the public with authoritative knowledge that deepens their understanding and appreciation of the built environment. But the Society of Architectural Historians, which created SAH Archipedia with University of Virginia Press, needs your support to maintain the high-caliber research, writing, photography, cartography, editing, design, and programming that make SAH Archipedia a trusted online resource available to all who value the history of place, heritage tourism, and learning.

,