From Fox Farm to 1800s Themed Mall to The Village
Today, the northeast corner of Adams Road and Walton Boulevard is the home of the Village of Rochester Hills, an outdoor shopping destination. Longtime residents of the area will recall that the predecessor of the Village of Rochester Hills was MeadowBrook Village Mall, an enclosed shopping center that occupied the location for about a quarter century.
MeadowBrook Village Mall
Detroit Silver Fox Farms
However, long before either of the shopping centers was built, the corner of Walton and Adams was the home of an unusual farming operation catering to the tastes of the wealthy. Fox farming, or the raising in captivity of foxes for their pelts, came to Michigan from Canada’s Prince Edward Island in 1915. The end of World War I and the economic fervor of the Roaring Twenties brought tremendous growth to this industry. Fox furs were wildly popular as a fashion statement, and by the mid-1920s, Michigan boasted dozens of fox farms.
Detroit Silver Fox Farm office on Dodge (now Adams) Road (Courtesy of Rochester Hills Public Library)
Silver foxes were especially prized for their unique color, and were the choice stock of most of the Michigan fox farms. Fred W. Craft of Detroit and Arthur J. Anderson of Lake Orion formed the Detroit Silver Fox Farms in 1922, with offices in Detroit. The partners bought a 39-acre parcel at the corner of Walton and Adams to house their farm. The property was ideally suited to their purpose; for many decades, it had been maintained in 10-acre farm woodlots for the surrounding property owners. The heavily wooded land provided a cool and shaded environment for the breeding stock, which had to be protected from overexposure to sunlight.
Among those sheltering trees, Detroit Silver Fox Farms built 100 pens fenced with woven wire, a caretaker’s lodge, watchtowers, and an icehouse. A full-time, on-site caretaker and watchtowers were needed because the 83 pairs of breeding foxes in the pens were valued at upwards of $2,000 each. The fox farm became a regional tourist attraction, as the company welcomed visitors whenever new pups were not being born.
Fox Farm Scene (Courtesy of Rochester Hills Public Library)
Apparently, Detroit Silver Fox Farms had great initial success with its “Pontiac Strain” furs, but it expanded too quickly. The company added a second fox farm near Charlevoix in 1925, and by the following year, it was in financial trouble. Only four years after establishing the fox farm near Rochester, its owners found themselves in receivership. Local contractors, among them Dillman & Upton, remained unpaid for materials sold to the company for construction of the buildings and pens. By 1927, Detroit Silver Fox Farms was bankrupt and the Avon Township farm had been abandoned. The property once again became a quiet woodlot.
Entrance to MeadowBrook Village Mall (Photo courtesy of Robert B. Aikens and Associates)
Meadowbrook Village Mall
The next big change for the land came in 1973, when Avon Township approved a plan for a 155,000-square-foot enclosed shopping mall on the site. Unlike Winchester Mall, which had just opened its first phase at the corner of Avon and Rochester roads during the previous year, the Walton and Adams development would be a “theme” mall.
Inside the MeadowBrook Village Mall (Photo courtesy of Robert B. Aikens and Associates)
The mall’s developers envisioned a “1800s village” theme, and named the proposed center MeadowBrook Village Mall. The plan for interior decor included cobblestone walkways, flickering gas streetlight effects, a cider mill, a San Francisco cable car, a showboat puppet theater and storefronts with a vintage look. The space was planned to accommodate about 53 tenants, but by design, no traditional anchor stores. The largest retailers in the mall were Frank’s Nursery and Crafts and Osmun’s Men’s Wear. About 30,000 square feet of the space was designed as a common area, in order to reinforce the “village” theme.
Amy Applewhite’s Cider Mill
The first phase of MeadowBrook Village Mall opened to shoppers in April 1975. Among the tenants were K.D. Butler, Casual Corner, Sibley’s, Carnaby Shoes, Steve’s Sports Connection, The Country Peddler, Applewhite’s Cider Stop (later the Coffee Beanery), Meadowbrook Corner Drugs, and Oceania Inn. The “streets” of the mall regularly featured live entertainment, and the Village Players offered a puppet show for children on the showboat stage every month.
Coffee Beanery inside Meadowbrook Village Mall (Courtesy of The Oakland Press)
John and Shirlee Anderson opened the 82-seat Merrie Melodie Theater at MeadowBrook Village Mall in March 1978. The theater showed film classics, both silent and talkie, and evoked a 1920s atmosphere inside the auditorium. Before each screening, John Anderson entertained audiences with an overture played on a custom-made Rodgers organ.
Meadowbrook Village Mall interior (Courtesy of The Oakland Press)
Meadowbrook Village Mall (Courtesy of The Oakland Press)
The Village of Rochester Hills
1974 Mall Site (Photo courtesy of the City of Rochester Hills)
Twenty-five years later, mall owners Robert B. Aikens & Associates began looking toward a new iteration of MeadowBrook Village Mall. The era of the enclosed mall was ending, and the owners planned a new development that involved an emerging concept called “de-malling.” The plan to demolish portions of the old structure and rebuild it as an outdoor lifestyle center was approved in April 2000. The work was done in phases so as not to displace those tenants who planned to stay with the new concept. Two large tenants, a Farmer Jack supermarket (later Whole Foods) on the old Frank’s Nursery site, and a Parisian department store (later Carson’s) on the north end, were announced.
Under the new name, the Village of Rochester Hills, the first phase of the re-imagined shopping district opened to customers in September 2002. Its streetscape features a gazebo, pocket parks, a fountain, a clock tower and 375,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space.
Now and Then and Coming Soon (By Michael Dwyer)
2014 Mall Site (Photo courtesy of the City of Rochester Hills)
Did you know that only a small portion of the original MeadowBrook Village Mall remains? Kruse & Muer is the only store still in the exact same location. This small section of the Village (building C) is home to Kruse & Muer, The Sleep Number Store, Taylor & Colt, P.F. Chang’s, and coming soon, Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt. The corner where P.F. Chang’s is now used to be Max & Erma’s, which was also in the old mall, as well as the new one. But do you remember what was on the corner before the two restaurants? Both Avon Drugs and Meadowbrook Corner Drugs had that corner at one time. Next to the drug store was Oceania Inn – they moved across the street before the new mall was built, and they are still in operation today.
Haig’s Shoes also stayed on through the transition, however they were located in a mobile trailer during construction and are located in one of the newer buildings at the Village now.
The old mall had bookstores, including B. Dalton Bookseller, and opening this month (March 27) will be a new Barnes & Noble Bookstore. This location would have been roughly near the San Francisco cable car along the west side (near the center) of the old mall. There are currently 22 stores at the Village whose footprint would have been located inside the MeadowBrook Village Mall.
The Village of Rochester Hills continues to evolve, bringing in new tenants when stores close. Michelle Shafir, Senior Retail Leasing Specialist for the Village, told Rochester Media that they are currently looking at several options for the large northern two-level part of the mall that used to be occupied by Carson’s. While a record store or puppet show theater would be wonderful, it’s bound to be something more trendy and modern.
MeadowBrook Village Mall Tenant List
Which Ones Do you Remember?
AfterthoughtsAladdin’s CastleAlcoveAndre’s SalonApplewhite’s Cider StopArden’sAugust Max WomanAvon DrugsB. Dalton BooksellerBombay CompanyBook Couzens TravelBrass & GlassBresler’s 33 Flavors Ice Cream ShopBull Shirt CompanyCallendar’s Buster Brown ShoesCamelot MusicCaren CharlesCaribbean Spice Co.Carnaby ShoesCasual CornerClaire’s BoutiqueCoffee BeaneryCompetitive Edge SportsConnolly’s JewelersCountry PeddlerDolly’s FaboutiqueDonna SacsEagle’s NestEmber’s DeliFash ‘n ShirtFoot LockerFrank’s Nursery & CraftsFrench GourmetGames and MoreGeneral Nutrition CenterGolf StuffGramercy Park JewelryGreat StuffHadley ArdenHaig’s ShoesHarlow’sHere and NowHeslop’s Yankee PeddlerHickory FarmsInstant ImagesJennifer’s CoffeeJimmy’s Coney IslandJust About TimeJust Kids OutfittersK.D. ButlerKay-Bee ToysKeepsakes by SarahKessler’s KravingsKinney Shoes |
Kitchen StuffKruse & MuerLotions & PotionsLove ShopMario’s HairstylesMax & Erma’sMayfair FlowersMeadowbrook Corner DrugsMeadowbrook OpticalMerle Norman CosmeticsMerrie Melodie TheaterMorrow’s Nut HouseMother & Daughter CraftsMotherhood MaternityMoto PhotoMrs. Fields CookiesMuggablesOceania InnOdyssey GalleryOlde Detroit ConfectionersOsmuns Mens’ WearOzPalm Springs SoftubsParvenuePet StopPetite SophisticatePickwick ShopPomeroy Fish MarketR. Nouveau JewelersRB ShopRecord TownScoops & MoreSibley’sSteve’s Sports ConnectionSuperTronixSuzan DeeTanner’s LoftTowne and TweedTravel 2000TRM CommunicationsTroy PhotographicUps & DownsVillage Toy StoreWaldenbooksWaltman’s BakeryWhiting’s Fashion AccessoriesWillow TreeWinkelman’sWinston’s DeliWorld BazaarWorld CameraWorld of Riches & RubiesYork Country DesignsYouth Center |
About Deborah J. Larsen
Thank you for yet another fascinating, impeccably researched
local historical article by Ms. Larsen! It was truly a pleasure to read.
Great read and brought back lots of memories. Thanks, Sandi Miller
Great article!! Can’t see all the pictures using mobile version.
If you rotate your phone horizontally, it’ll widen the screen to see the entire story with photos. If it doesn’t do it, you can go to Display in settings and set it so screen can be be rotated. Hope this helps.
We’ve reloaded the images for better viewing – thank you.
Thank you for the history. Such a pleasure to read about part of our history as well. We moved to Rochester Hills in the 70’s. Lived just a mile north of the mall. Our three children and our daughter in law all worked at the Embers Deli during high school and college. Thank you so much for the history.
Glad you enjoyed the story!
Thanks for the memories!!! Greatly appreciated.
I wish we could have the old Meadowbrook Mall back. ????
Me too, I loved that place.
Wonderful article you wrote on The Mall
Thanks for the ride on Memory Lane
Deborah Larsen does a great job with these historical pieces, it’s a pleasure to work with her to create the many rides down memory lane.
Thank you for the wonderful jump back to my childhood memories. What about the Floatable boatables down paint creek river.
Glad you enjoyed it, Leslie. As for the Floatable Boatable, I’ll add that to the list for future stories, so stay tuned.
Yes!! So fun to read and remember. I’m in my 40s now and was in my childhood and youth walking around Meadowbrook Mall. I love the Village but that indoor mall with the old time cobblestone and cider mill wheel… Aladdin’s Castle. The best.
I loved all that too Shannon. While researching the article, the mall representatives told us that the uneven surface – the bricks and wood boardwalk – was a major complaint. Which I can understand now as an adult, but it was cool as a kid.
Shannon, I worked for Aiken for a very short period of time when the company was still working hard to fill with tenants. We had the most beautiful Christmas decorations. I was around 30 something. Now I’m 73. Hard to believe. I had a friend just up the road who raised sheep, last name Rose. Good memories.
Thank you for bringing back history. I remember & recall few stores in Meadow Brook Village Mall.
I grew up at meadowbrook mall and really enjoyed reading this and remembering the time i spent there. I had no idea, as a kid, why the halls were cobbled and the lighting was so different. As an adult now, i appreciate how cool this mall was back then.
What a great article. So many great places in the mall. My favorite was Bresler’s 33 Flavors ice cream. I wonder if anyone else remembers Bresler’s.
As you walk into the entrance ( Front ) it was to the left
So the property was not being used for anything from 1927 to 1973?
“The property once again became a quiet woodlot.”
Yes. I saw that part. It doesn’t necessarily mean that it was a quiet woodlot for the entire period up to 1973.
That corner remained undeveloped for decades. It was still considered “out in the country” as late as the 1960s.
This is supremely interesting. Is there a way to get a print-outed?t or is it copyrighted ?
The article or the photos or both?
Great memories. I shopped there frequently. The Coffee Beanery was my indtroduction to buying whole beans. I went often to buy a bag of just roasted French Roast beans and had them freshly ground. I was sad to see them close. Now, of course, it’s Starbucks beans from the store in the Village. My kids enjoyed the puppet shows. Franks Nursery was so convenient and a great place to wander and plan for a summer garden. Petite Sophisticate was a godsend for this 4’11” woman, hard to find petites much these days and they are not sized the same. The World Bazaar was fun to wander in, always unique items from all over. I miss the mall experience especially in rainy or snowy weather or in the heat of the summer. So much under one roof was so nice to just stroll and window shop. #BringbackMallshopping
Sounds like you have a lot of happy memories of the mall!
Thank you for sharing this history of the Meadow
Village Mall. I always liked shopping there. I use to take my children to the puppet show in the mall also. The mall was quaint and like an old hometown. Oceania still my favorite Chinese restaurant of all time.
Thank you for this article! I loved that mall’s look and feel so much. Happy memories taking my oldest daughter to the puppet shows, getting coffee and her shopping in the toy store. CHRISTmas was magical here. Left a happy mark on my day. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it, and I hope you’ll keep reading. I write a local history story once a month.
Thanks for the nice article. I spent lots of time in the mall as a kid. The waterwheel and puppet shows on the boat were my favorites. I remember the Chinese New Year celebrations in front of Oceania Inn.
This is fantastic, thanks for sharing! I’ve tried to describe the waterwheel and mill in the middle of the mall to people in the past, but people just don’t get it without seeing it. Thank you for putting this together.
By the way, there was an ice cream shop that was in there called The Big Olaf, they made fresh waffle cones and charged $1. Towards the end they raised their price to $1.25. It was over by where the movie theatre used to be, I didn’t see it on your list.
Thanks for adding that business to the tenant list. Our list was compiled from newspaper advertising, so there are undoubtedly a few omissions.
I remember that place, it was in that corridor in the back to the left of the Cider shop, it was the first shop on the left in that corridor across from the deli
So many great memories. Thank you again for taking the time to research and write this article. I saw The Creature from the Black Lagoon in 3D with my dad there in the late 1970s.
Any pictures of the paddle wheel boat where they used to host puppet shows for kids?
It was a bit of a challenge to find interior photos of the old mall for this story. No photos of the showboat puppet theater surfaced through our efforts, unfortunately.
Hi Michael, I was so surprised by this article! My father was a co-owner and the chef at Pomeroy’s Fish Market, one of three restaurant that he had at this time. The menu included many fresh fish offerings and my dad would make Boston Clam Chowder and New England Clam Chowder from scratch I still make the former. One of my sister’s and I worked as waitresses here and we would walk this fun mall on a regular basis. Thank-you for this throw back in time Deborah!
You’re welcome. Deborah is great and love her well researched articles. The mall has so many wonderful memories for me too. Glad you enjoyed it.
Loved Pomeroys Fish, such excellent fish lunches there!
Thanks for the memory.
Gail Bothwell
Great story! Amazing to read the history of what was here before we were. I remember the Franks Nursery and still have the Christmas tree I purchased from them long ago when I worked at FANUC Robotics before I had moved to this area.
Thank you for sharing your memories of Franks, I loved that store and the mall too.
Thank you for this article. It brings back a lot of memories. I found this website while searching for Aladdin’s Castle. 🙂
I spent a lot of time, and money, in that place. TRON, Galaga, and every pinball machine!
Haha, yes! I spent many a quarter on the Simpsons game they had right at the entrance. 🙂
Thanks Deborah and Michael!
This article brought back a lot of memories. I grew up at that mall like many of the above commenters. The article actually has spurred an unorthodox request. When I was no more than 5 years old, my earliest memory with my Mother was going on lunch dates to Embers Deli. I am getting married this summer and am looking for a sentimental gift to say thank you for all she’s done. Do either of you by chance have any photos of Embers Deli from the mall or know of a contact number of the old owners family or a historical record where I might be able to find an old photo or a piece of memorabilia? I think it would really hit the right chord and mean a lot to my Mom. Thank you for your efforts and response in advance!
Sincerely,
Jon
Hello Jon –
The owners of Ember’s was Scott and Alice Lefler. You can find Alice on Facebook. FYI. I wish I could find pictures of the Deli too.
-J
Wow, I was telling my European wife about this mall. My wife is new to the area and I told her how wonderful that mall was and just about everything around Rochester.
I remember Jacobson’s at Livernois and Walton as well as Mitzelfeld’s downtown Rochester. The new Village of RH is OK, but I loved the mall. I used to get my haircut there at the barber shop and also buy shoes at Foot Locker.
Unfortunately, so much is changing in RH with the housing prices going out of control, no NBD, no Kmart and just too many demographic changes due to non-stop immigration from third-world countries.
Rochester is certainly a far cry from what is used to be. I love it here, but am considering moving out to a greener pasture (if one can be found).
Thank you for the great jump back in memory lane. My sister Gay was Happy the Clown for many years there. I wonder how many people remember her. One year I helped out dressed as an Elf at Christmas time. It was a great place to shop,eat, see puppets. Interesting I never knew about the Silver fox information.
I remember Sarah Munson from Mrs Crawford’s science class at Central Jr High. Had a little crush on her.
I remember the early 80’s when I was a rookie on the Avon Twp Fire Department. On Fire Prevention Week every October we would set up a large display inside the Meadowbrook Mall. As a rookie I was responsible for wearing a “Smokey The Bear” outfit around the mall and pass out plastic fire helmets to children.
My fondest memory of Meadowbrook Mall was the carousel.
I managed the Alcove store in the late 70’s. I can remember Santa assisted us in catching a shoplifter during the Christmas season. He probably put them on the naughty list too!
That time I wasted like 5 bucks on Final Blow and Altered Beast at Aladdin’s Castle when I already had them at home on the Genesis
That time I spent like five bucks on Final Blow and Altered Beast at Aladdin’s Castle when I already had them both at home on the Genesis
My grandma used to bring my sister & I to this Mall for the puppet shows…we loved it. We also had weekly meals with the family at Oceana Inn. Great memories!
Thank you to the author for this excellent documentary piece.
Anyone remember the name of that fish and chips type bar/restaurant that was off Walton between adams and livernois somewhere.. it was prob there maybe between 1995-2002 or so? They has a nice lights battered fish
Reading this article brought back tons of memories. I recall the countless times my friends and I would ride our dirt bikes up and down from our houses to the mall. I used to be one of the puppeteers at the Puppet Theater inside the old Meadowbrook Village Mall. The kids used to really get a kick out of the shows and I loved doing them. From munching on the awesome coney dogs at Jimmy’s Coney Island, playing arcade games at Aladdin’s Castle, purchasing transformer and other toys at Kay-Bee toy store, enjoying a good cider and donut at the cider mill, and opening up wax packs of baseball cards at the baseball card shop, the potpourri smell in Frank’s Nursery and Crafts. The list goes on and on of the infinite memories that flood my mind when thinking of Meadowbrook Village Mall. This place was my life back in the mid 80s to early 90s. I wish I could go back in time and visit it the way it was in the 80s and 90s.
Thank you very much for adding your memories to this story. Do you have any photos from your shows or the mall in general?
Hello Michael. I managed to acquire a photo of myself standing in front of the old puppet theater and also one photo of a program from one of the puppet shows. Is there an email address I can send it to for you to add it to the article?
Yes, email michael@rochestermedia.com please.
Your welcome Michael. I wish I had some photos of the puppet theater inside the old Meadowbrook Village mall. That was almost 30 years ago. I currently do not have any available. The only people that might may be my parents or some of the puppeteers I used to work with and I’ve been out of touch with them for a while. They were high school class mates of mine at Rochester Adams High School.
Any ways, I can share some of my memories on the details of the shows: I remember that the shows lasted about 30 minutes each. As I recall, they took place weekday evenings and during the afternoon on the weekends. There were usually 2 puppeteers on hand to conduct the shows. The shows rotated every week or so between different affiliated malls across the country. The marionettes along with the audio tapes containing the dialog and soundtrack, and the blocking instructions (sort of a script that detailed which puppets to place out on stage at a time and which body part to move with the strings( hands, eyes, tail, etc.) where shipped to us at the theater and stored in cabinets back stage.
Myself and the fellow puppeteers used to over do the eye movements for instance on the giant in jack in the bean stalk and make his eyes blink up and down excessively and the kids would get a huge kick out of it and laugh away. We tried our best to go outside the script to make the puppets move in funny, off the wall ways as much as possible to amuse the kids like that.
The shows I remember doing were: The Reluctant Dragon, Jack and the Beanstalk, The Little Mermaid, The Wizard of Oz and Hansel and Gretel.
It’s too bad these shows don’t exist any more. My kids would really enjoy them if they were still around. We live in a new age now I suppose.
LOVED this mall. Hung out there when I was younger (arcade, Frank’s Nursery, Max & Erma’s, etc) and then worked at Ember’s Deli (for 12 years!) and Scoops & More for maybe a year or so. Such great memories of the Deli, the mall, employees/friends from across the hall and other stores in the mall (MotoPhoto, Merle Norman, Harlow’s, Kinney’s, etc. It was such a cool, unique mall, the likes of which we will probably never see again.
I was an assistant/shampoo girl at Harlow’s. The names of the girls escape me except for Sally the owner, Bonnie, Jeri the receptionist, Eva the esthetician, Cindy, Brenda and Cynthia.
Learned a lot from those ladies!!
I worked as a security guard at that mall while attending college for Criminal Justice. I went on to have a wonderful 25 year career as a police officer in Las Vegas. What wonderful people and memories! I visit the new outdoor mall when I’m in town, and although it’s quite beautiful, I miss the quaintness of that small cobblestone mall.
Hi Carla – there is a rumor that Robert Englund was also a security guard at the mall in the 1970s while attending Oakland University – do you know if that is true?
Got anymore pictures of the MeadowBrook Village Mall?
I was an 80s baby and don’t have any pictures of my own.
I loved it there and would love some more pictures.
We used all the photos we had for this article, and many were given to us. We’d love a few more too.
I used to love that mall
For decades, Frank’s Nursery and Crafts was known across America as the best source for live plants and garden supplies. Nearly twenty years later, they’re back. Details: https://franksnurseryandcrafts.com
What was the name of the Chinese restaurant, not Oceanas,had Garden in its name thanks
I remember eating dinner with my parents at Pomeroy’s. I always took a pocket full of quarters with me so the moment I finished my dinner I ran to Aladdin’s castle. I’d play until my parents finished their dinner and came and got me.
I loved Oceania also!!!
For many years that empty lot north of the mall was going to be a movie theater.