Lakewood's Pioneer Shopping Centers
History of Villa Plaza and Lakewood Colonial Center now on display.
The third major exhibit in the Lakewood History Museum in the last three years debuted on Saturday, April 6th with a formal ribbon cutting and reception.
Lakewood’s Pioneer Shopping Centers showcases the history of the Colonial Center and the Villa Plaza.
Before 1937 the fledgling Lakes District community lacked convenient shopping and vital services that today’s residents take for granted. Fortunately, Norton Clapp, anticipating these needs, built the Lakewood Community Center in the heart of Lakewood. By the time the first building was finished in 1951 and the East building was completed in 1955, every conceivable need was met by local businesses.
In August 1957 the Villa Plaza opened to three days of celebration that included a celebrity (country singer Tex Williams) arriving by helicopter. The anchor stores of J. C. Penney’s and Woolworth’s made it a destination for people throughout Pierce County. It took a hit when the Tacoma Mall opened in 1965 on the newly completed Interstate 5. It morphed into the Lakewood Mall in 1989 and the current Lakewood Towne Center in 2002.
