Tanglewood Mall

interior, circa 1990, from Virginia Film Office

Leggett exterior, circa 1990, from Virginia Film Office

East mall entrance, 2007 (Steven Swain)

JCPenney exterior, 2004 (Steven Swain)

JCPenney exterior, 2007 (Steven Swain)

directory, circa 1995 (scanned)

directory, 2007 (scanned)

Tanglewood Mall is a regional shopping center in Roanoke, Virginia. It opened in 1973 and was once the largest regional mall in Western Virginia, a distinction now held by Valley View Mall.

Original anchors were JCPenney, Leggett, Woolco, G.C. Murphy, Miller & Rhoads, General Cinema, SupeRx Drugs and Kroger. JCPenney and Kroger are still there, in their original locations, more than thirty years later.

The mall’s current anchors also include Belk, Carmike Cinema, Steve & Barry’s University Sportswear, Stein Mart, Staples, T.J. Maxx, A.C. Moore and Barnes & Noble.

Tanglewood Mall Trivia

  • Originally, the mall had four fountains: two water fountains in front of Leggett. a “pyramid” fountain in front of JCPenney and a huge block fountain at the Woolco end of the mall. They were surrounded by what could best be described as something out of “The Price Is Right” design manual. There were a lot of jeweltone colors striped onto white walls, and distinctive pole lamps, some of which didn’t come down until 2007.
  • A notable feature of Tanglewood Mall was The French Quarter, a 'mini-mall' designed to look like a French village, with boutiques including a gourmet market and restaurant. The French Quarter closed in 1995 to make way for Goody's Family Clothing.
  • G.C. Murphy left Tanglewood Mall in 1979. Following this departure, the space was reconfigured into a food court.
  • Woolco closed its Tanglewood location in 1983, and part of the space was renovated to create a Brendle's catalog showroom, along with TJ Maxx and several smaller mall shops. Brendle's closed in 1996, with its space housing a variety of short-lived retailers (including a F.A.O. Schwarz outlet) until April 2006, when TJ Maxx renovated the former Brendle's space and relocated from a space next door.
  • The rest of the former Woolco space eventually became home to Staples and Stein Mart, both opening in 2007.
  • Miller & Rhoads left the mall in 1989, and the space was renovated into smaller stores.