Seven Corners Shopping Center was the first major shopping center to open in suburban Washington, D.C.. It is located in Seven Corners, Fairfax County, Virginia. At its opening in 1956, it was the largest regional shopping center in Virginia. The backsplit two-story mall structure was razed in the mid-1990s and replaced with a dual ground level power center.HistoryThe 45-store, $25 million, 600000sqft center, developed by Kass-Berger of Washington, D.C., formally opened October 4, 1956, on a 29acre parcel at the intersection of Arlington Boulevard (U.S. Route 50) and Leesburg Pike (State Route 7). At opening, the store was anchored by Washington D.C.-based department stores Julius Garfinckel & Co. and a 128000sqft Woodward & Lothrop. The center also included a Food Lane supermarket; Woolworth's; Bond Stores, Franklin Simon & Co., Joseph R. Harris Co., Peck & Peck, and Wilson's Mens Store clothing stores; Mayer & Company furniture; Thom McAn and Hahn's Shoes; Fanny Farmer candy; and Western Auto as well as a Peoples Drug Store, which featured stores on both the upper and lower concourses (connected via a staircase). It also included the first cafeteria in northern Virginia, an S&W Cafeteria. When opened, the center employed nearly 1,000. A Raleigh's joined the center sometime after its opening, as did a Varsity Shop men's clothing outlet and a Brentano's book store.
