Wampanoag Mall

[Crawford]

Anyone 35 and over who lived in East Providence would recall this little mall with fondness. Built at the interesection of Route 44 and 114 in the 60's this was a very popular mall for a long time. Anchors were Almacs supermarkets, which had a conveyor belt to take your groceries outside for you, Cherry & Webb and Warwick Shoppers World. The inside of the mall had the typical chain stores such as Sacketts, Midland Records, Doktor Pet Centers, Cerel's Jewelers, Roberts, Donnelly's, Thom McCan, CVS and Fanny Farmer Chocolates. I also recall stores called Nugents and Peter Bleiden's as well as an stereo/tv store.  There were small stone fountains and stained glass skylights. An Old Stone Bank was sandwiched between the Almacs and the Cherry and Webb. The bank and market could be entered from one another but there was no mall access, only through the Cherry & Webb. There was also a Brigham's restaurant inside. First to go was Warwick Shopper's World, Zayre bought them out in the 70's and converted them over. Only problem here was that Zayre also had a store across the street. Solution was to sell the space to Woolco which opened I believe 1978-79. Stores came and went inside but the biggest blow was Woolco closing. It reopened as a Channel Home Improvement but the mall access was sealed off. Half the building was made into a Marshall's but it was by itself, the part of the building that had the mall access was later taken over by RX place pharmacy but there was still no mall access. Inside stores continued to close up. By 1984 and 1985 only stores left were an arcade that was inside the former jewlery store and a pizza place. Everything else was gone. By the end of the 80's the mall shuttered and the Cherry & Webb mall access was walled up permantly. Old Stone Bank was closed down in the early 90's and the property taken over by Vision World Eye Care. Almacs also went out of business in the 90's and a Savers secondhand store moved in. Evenutally the inside of the mall was gutted out and actual stores moved in. They include a Payless shoes, a Jo Ann Fabrics, a Dollar Tree, I Party and Fashion Bug. The mall was renamed Wampanoag Plaza. If you go in the back of the mall, the old entrance can still be seen however it doesn't lead anywhere, just the wall board of a Chinese restaurant that opened a few years back. There is no other evidence that this plaza was once a mall.

[magicguyRI]

I have fond memories when my family had its "Grand Opening" of Cerel's Jewelers at the Wampanoag Mall. It was quite the week.
L. Cerel