Thursday, November 05, 2009

Lazarus (now Macy's); Lima Mall, Lima, Ohio. Exterior view. (public domain photo by Dirty H)

Macy's (former Lazarus); Lima Mall, Lima, Ohio. Exterior view. (photo by Pat Richardson)

Macy's (former Lazarus); Lima Mall, Lima, Ohio. Exterior view. (photo by Pat Richardson)

Macy's (former Lazarus); Lima Mall, Lima, Ohio. Exterior view. (photo by Pat Richardson)

Macy's (former Lazarus); Lima Mall, Lima, Ohio. Exterior view. (photo by Pat Richardson)

Macy's (former Lazarus); Lima Mall, Lima, Ohio. Exterior view. (photo by Pat Richardson)

Macy's (former Lazarus); Lima Mall, Lima, Ohio. Mall entrance. (photo by Pat Richardson)

19 comments:

  1. is it just me or does that store appear to be wearing a hat? Very cool in a different kind of way :-)

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    1. Lazarus was purposely built with a hat, it was their signature.

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  2. It does look like it's wearing a hat! Lazarus built a few of these stores in central Ohio in the '70s and they're really cool-looking.

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  3. I was impressed at how tall that center section really is---it is also quite striking upon first site.

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  4. I like the macy's logo better on the building than the Lazarus logo. The blue marble color is unique and cool.
    LMAO regarding it looks like it's wearing a hat.

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  5. LOL on the hat debate.

    I have seen this building before and it never ceases to amaze me.

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  6. Pat: Was there anything special inside the tower portion of the store? Escalators? A restaurant? Higher ceilings?

    Ken: I think I like the Lazarus logo better, but Macy's does add a extra shot of color on an already colorful building.

    Didi: That's cool. It has to be really impressive in person.

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  7. Unfortunately, I was short of time, so I didn't go into the store itself. Now that you have posted those questions, I'm dying to know!

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  8. I, too, would love to know the answers to those questions!

    According to the pictures on Wikipedia (I know, I know...), there was another store like this one, since closed, and yet another that was hatless.

    I'm actually floored that they haven't touched this in 40 years. If this had been in Charlotte or Atlanta, the exterior wouldn't have lasted 5...

    And hey, it's been a few months since I've said this, but...c'mon, macy*s, why a black logo on this one?

    Famous-Barr had several stores with a similar...um...appendage, didn't they?

    AWESOME pics, Pat -- thanks!

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  9. I've only seen three converted mall stores so far that haven't gotten standard Macy's signs. Two are in Durham, N.C. and the other is in Roanoke Va. Everybody else got the same sign whether it looked right on the building or not.

    Both Famous-Barr and Meier & Frank both got stores with funky rotundas in this era, too. I'm not sure of the function of any of these special areas.

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  10. well guys...I just wanted to let you know that I live in Lima, where this store is and the "hat" was a resturant but it closed about a year ago. neat store...but very empty for a macy's!

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  11. Thanks for the info. Hopefully business will pick up soon.

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  12. It does look kinda spaceship-like. I love the effect.

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  13. The “Hat” is known as the “Tower Entrance”. If you look closely in the photograph, above center of the “hat” you will notice a lighter area, which are the windows of the former restaurant that was located within the tower, on the third level of the store, there is no access to the tower on the 1st or 2nd levels. The restaurant closed in the late in the mid 90’s.

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    Replies
    1. How the hell do people get up there then?

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    2. No offense, but I mean in a silly way, Do they just get ladders and climb up or has a hidden Escalator?

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  14. The restaurant actually closed in the late 2000's. I ate there in 2008, so it survived at least that long.

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  15. The "hat" actually hides the cooling tower and has no roof on the very top. You can access the "hat" from an interior stairwell. If you look at the structure from google maps, you can see the cooling tower inside the "hat". The one in Ontario Ohio is just like it.

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