Lincoln Mall

A once bustling retail destination and hang out. Now, a dead mall? Not quite yet…

images of this Property

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About this Property

Significance

We grew up in North Smithfield, RI, minutes away from the Lincoln Mall, which was glorious when we were early teenagers in the late 80s. We attended birthday parties at Papa Gino’s (the bigger one, this mall had 2!), sank quarters into arcade games at Dream Machine, and munched popcorn watching movies at the General Cinema. We watched puppies through the window at the Pet Stop, bought cassette tapes (Run D.M.C.!) at Music And…, looked and played with all the new toys at KayBee, and gawk at the bawdy stuff in Spencer Gifts. We might have even had our photo taken with Santa in the center pavilion when we were younger. We know our high school band played a short concert there. It was the center of our young universe for a short time.

What happened? Retail changed and grew in the area. The Emerald Mall in Attleboro took a chunk out of its market when it opened in 1989, as the Emerald Mall was the big new shiny thing. But the Lincoln Mall was still the closest destination for shoppers from Woonsocket, North Smithfield, Lincoln, and Cumberland. It continued to do pretty well even though there was anchor store turnover every five years or so. When the Providence Place Mall opened in 1999 it took some traffic away as well, but mostly by then, the retail landscape had changed away from mid-sized suburban malls and towards big box stores which were not a place to hang out but instead were a one-stop-shop for most anything you needed.

An extensive interior renovation in 2000 attracted new junior anchor tenants, but the footprint of the mall already started to shrink. A new Stop-n-Shop took the place of the Caldor anchor space and did not open up into the mall. Kmart closed its store in 2003 and in 2004 store closures dropped occupancy down to 50%. Target replaced Kmart and again turned its back to the inner mall. A large Cinema World was added to the back of the mall and does retain a narrow corridor into it. Now the mall is a mix of outdoor plaza — with Marshalls, Target, Homegoods, and a Five Below facing mainly into the parking lot — and inner mall with vacant storefronts save for about 20 retail destinations.

Other stores that were in the mall at some point include the Outlet Stores Woolco, (the first anchors), Zayre, Ames, Caldor, Kmart, Cherry & Webb, Anderson Little, the Roast House, Hickory Farms, Almacs (across the parking lot), Waldenbooks, Fanny Farmer, Music And…, T.W. Rounds, Hallmark, Newport Creamery, Fayva shoes, The Pipe Den, Michael’s Jewelers, Deb, Continental Limited, The Gap, Lowrey Organs, and a McDonald’s in the front of the parking lot which is still there.

Architecture

The mall had two “arms” at an angle off a central atrium space (photo 1). The central round area had a fountain and roof of it had a portion of it as skylights. Two main corridors were anchored on either side by large chain department stores as a draw while the corridors were lined with smaller shops. Two smaller main corridors ran through the center to wide entrances off the parking lot. The construction was mostly wood beams and cinder blocks with minimal detail. This central-atrium-with-arms-design was popular in the mid-seventies and similar to the Naugatuck Valley Mall in Connecticut.

In the early 2000s, the “arms” have been cut short to give additional space to a full Stop-n-Shop on one side and a Target on the other. Neither has an entrance into the mall, in fact most of the newer “anchor” retail generally ignores the mall, which is part of why the inner mall is dying. It’s strange that it is still there in some ways, but we are sure that some are very grateful that it is.

History

No formal history, but many anecdotal ones like ours. Here are some that we enjoy:

In the News

Lincoln Mall sold for $56 million

by Nicole Dotzenrod
Valley Breeze | July 10, 2019 (abridged)

The Lincoln Mall has been sold to New York-based Acadia Realty Trust, an investment firm operating locally under the name “Lincoln Mall Owner LLC.”

The company purchased the mall property at 622 George Washington Highway from MB Lincoln Mall LLC in late June for $55.7 million. That price includes the main mall, Ocean State Job Lot building, Stop & Shop, Santander and McDonald’s, but not Target.

MB Lincoln Mall LLC, a subsidiary of Highlands REIT Inc., had been the owner on record since 2006 when they acquired the property for $61.4 million. They entered into an agreement to sell the Lincoln Mall to Acadia in February for a gross sale price of $57 million.

According to the new owner’s website, Acadia Realty owns one other property in R.I., a 225,000-square-foot shopping plaza located at 650 Bald Hill Road in Warwick, part of the Rhode Island Mall. Tenants in the center include Dick’s Sporting Goods, Burlington and Planet Fitness.

A first quarter update provided by the real estate investment trust in May said the Lincoln Mall was under contract for $56 million. […]

Representatives from Acadia and the mall’s property manager did not return request for comment on the acquisition or their plans for the future of the Lincoln Mall property.

The Lincoln Mall has been in operation since the 1970s, undergoing a major transformation following its 2006 sale when the shopping center was turned into a hybrid indoor-outdoor mall.

In addition to a number of retail tenants like Five Below, Marshalls, and Dollar Tree, the property includes a variety of restaurants and newer, fast-casual eateries that include Chili’s, Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop, Chipotle Mexican Grill, IHOP, Five Guys, Asia Grille and Starbucks.

Captured on September 11, 2021 from https://www.valleybreeze.com/2019-07-10/cumberland-lincoln-area/lincoln-mall-sold-56-million#.YTyrNC1h1Z0

26 Anecdotes from people like you

I worked at Brooks Fashions, a woman’s clothing store! It was my first job back in 1986. It was right next to Music And… I have so many fond memories of the Lincoln Mall. If I wasn‘t working there, I was hanging out with my friends there shopping, going to the movies, playing in the arcade or having pizza at Papa Gino‘s. Does anyone remember the Roast House? My grandparents used to take me there to eat now and then. That mall holds a special place in my heart ♥

Julie Otis February 28, 2024

C’mon no mention of Chess King??? I liked the fancy Papa Gino’s just off the center of the mall. It had a bar. I can’t imagine a Papa Gino’s with a bar these days.

Mike R February 13, 2024

I don’t remember the Lincoln Mall from when it was a bustling mall. I wasn’t born yet, by the time I was a kid. Lincoln Mall became the place to avoid, in favor of the Emerald Square Mall. Ironic how that played out now… I don’t remember all these stores of yesteryear like Caldor and The Dream Machine. But I do remember the organ store briefly. I loved the Papa Ginos in the mall and the claw machine they had! That Papa Gino’s was probably was the oldest thing inside the mall to date. I remember the mall as it was in the early 2000’s. When it had Claire’s, K-B Toys, Gamer Haven (the Yu Gi Oh craze.) , Silver Dragon and their incense, T Shirt City, and this CREEPY and I mean CREEPY kiddie carnival thing that was where Famous Footwear was. It was called Kiddie Playland or something. I always got the eeriest vibes walking by it. Like some demented clown weirdo set it up. K mart before Target. Pay/Half where you got the freshest millennial hip hop clothing ever. The Dunkin’ Donuts was inside the mall and the “managers special” was a chocolate frosted rainbow sprinkle donut. I even swiped a coin from the fountain one time and my parents were sooo pissed LOL! I loved this mall for what it was at the time, because it was quiet and I have never been a big fan of crowded bustling places. Now it’s pretty much an outdoor commons type of place. Also cannot forget the jobs I’ve had at Lincoln Mall — Party City - a few weeks. Stop & Shop - 3 weeks lol. They fired me because I didn’t get carts fast enough. Dollar Tree - AKA the retirement home. I always called it that because our customer base was mostly on the elderly side ahah.!

Tim G. October 12, 2023

I can remember in the 1980s Lincoln Mall was the place to be I remember the pet store the fountain with the Penny’s the dream machine the music store Spencer’s roast house Newport creamery I had so much childhood memories there it’s sad to see it’s not really a mall anymore thres no more restaurants in the mall just a nail place cinemaworld and cw lanes and games a bowling alley and a very small game room I miss those days

Candie Vermeulen September 9, 2022

We were teenagers in Smithfield when this mall first opened and spent a lot of time there! The funniest thing I remember though is learning how to drive there on a Sunday (back when blue laws closed stores on Sunday’s) along with all my siblings. Later I also learned how to drive a stick shift there as well. Nobody mentioned it but Thom McCann shoes were very popular and I know we saw either David Cassidy or The Osmond’s appear outside the record store. There was also a Singer Sewing machine store and another trinket store next to it that had those clip on animals like koala bears! It was next to the organ store at the Caldor end. Great place to hang out!

Name withheld please December 6, 2021

Granted, it’s not the mall used to be, but it still survives as a group of stores and offices, and that’s better than being abandoned/demolished like old malls in other parts of the country.

Carol Thomas February 1, 2018

When I first went to Lincoln Mall, we had Kmart and Stop and Shop as anchors. I lived in one of the next towns over from the mall and I still do as of today. Three times a week until the Kmart closes in 2003 (I first went to KM in around 2000 or 2001 with this store). I would go into the store’s Little Caesars Pizza Station three times a week to have their delicious pizza and buy some items. Back then, my favorite store in the mall was no other than the Kmart and I wouldn’t budge to go anywhere else (I got to go more Kmart’s sometime after that). I was sad to see Kmart leave the mall because that’s my favourite store at the time. I did go to Target after Kmart’s demolition in 2005. Also in 1992, Kmart actually demolished the Ames for a shiny new store (Kmart would build a rather shiny and attractive store in the former Zayre {Ames} space).

Ryan Passarelli December 14, 2017

In the 1970-1980 I remember my mom taking me to a mall. It was Lincoln or Midland Mall to see the Talking tree. Does anyone remember this?

Karen Tibbetts November 23, 2015

I grew up in Lincoln in the 80’s and 90’s and I loved the Lincoln Mall. The days of Caldor and Zayre. It was the saddest day when Zayre closed, but was then replaced by Ames. I still have a replacement needle for my record player with the Zayre price tag on it. Until K-Mart took over, I remember they had the kiddie arcade and rides in the empty Ames store. I remember the inside of Almacs like it was yesterday. We always liked the Lincoln Almacs store… not the one on Mendon Road in Cumberland. We got countless goldfish from the Rumford Pet Center to feed a pet shrimp we had growing up… and we got a couple hampsters from them as well (free plug for the Rumford Pet Center in East Providence that caught fire in 1992). I loved those stores. Anyway, back to the Lincoln Mall… I taught my sister how to drive a car with a manual transmission in the back parking lot. When a cop “pulled us over” in the parking lot, he asked what we were doing and then added “can you teach me?” As a kid, I used to get cheap ornaments from the Thing’s Remembered kiosk to give as Christmas presesnts. Of course, who can forget the Dream Machine… I could probably retire on what I used to spend there. But I always remember when my Mom would take us to the movies, we’d go to Caldor first to get drinks and snacks because it was cheaper. Bought several remote controlled cars from Radio Shack, and of course, KB Toys. Randy the talking reindeer and throwing change into the fountain… when it was working. I know there’s plenty more memories… but that’s all I have for now. Oh yeah, one more… remember the kiosk near the fountain that had the 3-D pictures? You had to hold it to your face, focus your eyes, then pull the picture away to see the image? It took me forever to see the image…

Andrew H February 12, 2010

I, too, have fond memories of Lincoln Mall! I lived in Smithfield and really enjoyed the drive and “warmth” of the mall. During the 1970s and later, as a stay-at-home Mom, I worked part-time at Peerless and at the Things Remembered Kiosk. Christmas was crazy! I took my kids to see Randy the talking Reindeer, and of course, to see Santa Claus. My friends and I used to go walking EVERY MORNING before the stores opened to exercise and window shop! I remember Roast House, Fanny Farmer Chocolates, and Dunkin’ Donuts. My kiddos loved Papa Gino’s. We’d take in a movie (recalling Honey I Shrunk the Kids) and get a bite to eat afterward. There was something for everyone. It felt manageable… far better than the huuuuuge malls we have now a-days. I moved from Rhode Island in 1996, but that was a great place to go with a family!

Debbie English Wright September 8, 2009

Come on people. Don’t forget abut the pennies in the fountain! The General Cinema/Dream Machine combo was the best. Papa Gino’s? Still the best pizza i’ve ever had. MCD on the way out? Some white patent leather shoes from Donnelly’s? Yup! I’m not completely sure but I think I saw Star Wars at that theater. Hey now! Spencer Gifts – flipping through the posters anyone? God I haven’t thought about that mall in a long time but after flipping through these pages i’m remembering and looking back it’s amazing how special that place really was.

WaldenBooks May 22, 2009

I was the guy playing the organ all day at Lowrey Organ Center. Hey it got me through college. The mall was a great place to be during the late 70s and early 80s. It was so packed on a saturday night it was wall to wall people. I would love to have anyone who worked at the organ center to e mail me at kmsc04 [at] aol [dot] com,, thanks for this web site, its great…

paull March 4, 2009

I spent a good amount of time there walking back and forth as a teenager checking out the girls. Dream Machine was always the first stop. My girlfriend worked at Papa Gino’s. Music and… still sold albums! I can even remember going there as a little kid with my parents. Where Caldor was there was a different store there, that had a food court/restaurant in the back of the store right near the mall hallway entrance. Good memories of a better time.

RC February 21, 2009

The anchors were The Outlet and Woolco. I remember when the Gap only sold Levi’s.

ton February 7, 2009

That was our family’s go-to Santa Claus. There was also a talking Christmas tree in Peerless that mystified me as a kid. It was basically a tree with a woman’s voice that would ask you what you wanted for Christmas. Other stores not mentioned: Rave, a Hallmark shop, Ups n Downs, Pants Place, Don Dee Shoes, Moto Photo, Spectrum India, the Silver Dragon…

JS February 4, 2009

I too grew up hanging at this mall, I mostly remember the record store, I think it was called “Music And…”, which also sold some kick ass spiked bracelets and jean jacket patches and that kind of stuff. Dream Machine was also great fun — I remember playing Punch Out a lot later on and really enjoying the Spy Hunter game, because you got to sit down in the machine. And of course the skeeball and whac-a-mole were the standbys. I think I still have some tickets hidden away someplace. What was really cool about the Lincoln Mall was when the local National Guard would come and set up a howitzer inside near the staging area.

gs December 24, 2008

I spent an awful lot of time at the Dream Machine. I mean, I think I actually funded the lighting for the whole place! I recall that when you walk in, there were some shoot ’em up type machines on the left, a ramp that went up to a second landing where there were pinball machines. On the lower lever towards the far right corner was an air hockey table. Just behind and to the right was a basketball free throw machine. I also spent quite a few dollars at the theater across the way. Just up from the theater was India Optical and at the very end of that entry hall was the piano and organ store. I’d let my girlfriend go do her shopping while I listened to the customers and salespeople play those pianos and organs. In picture 1 of the photos, there was a stage setup that featured a traveling Beatles tribute band called Beatlemania. They played around four shows over a weekend. I saw their tour back around 1977. Just a side note here, but the remnant members of the Beatlemania show were the first band to play at the United Kingdom pavilion at Walt Disneyworld. Of course, none of the original cast still play there. I recall the fantastic baseball card store. I really, really miss Lincoln Mall back in its glory days. Emerald Mall does absolutely nothing for me.

Roland September 13, 2008

Worked at Cherry & Webb at the Lincoln Mall – hired in 1976 or 77 as temporary Christmas help and then kept on afterwards. Horrible “S.O.S” Clearance sales which we all knew stood for “Same Old Sh*t”. I hated Shoes and Childrens, the best was Accessories next to the Mall entrance – you could look out and see who was walking around. Highlights were when the Patriots were in training at Bryant College and we would squeal at the sight of tall, sun burnt, thick-necked rookies strutting by. Grilled cheese sandwiches at th Newport Creamery at lunchtime, trying to catch the eye of the cute-guy server, hanging out at the record store (what was it’s name?) while they played David Bowie and the B-52’s.

M August 24, 2008

The Lincoln Mall was great!! Living in Woonsocket, I was able to take the bus before I drove and spend saturday’s at the mall. My mom took me to see Jaws at the General Cinema. As i got older and had money and my own car (that I got working at the McDonald’s on site) I was able to buy great clothes at The Proving Ground, The Outlet, Chess King only the best for me!!!!. I as well as other’s got our parted in the middle and feathered hair cuts at the salon across from the Magic Menu. Oh, Magic Menu had frozen yogurt served in a cut up pineapple with fruit, how fashionable!! And Papa Gino’s, the line to get in there was out of sight. I went crazy when I found a Papa Gino’s in West Palm Beach Florida, it was a taste of home and a big serving of memories. And the gap sold corduroys in the best colors. I still to this day have hidden deep in my dresser, skinny early 80’s bow ties that were all the rage that I bought at the Lincoln Mall. I soon forgot about the Lincoln Mall when I moved to Florida, the first mall I walked into then had an ice rink, imagine the mall level I felt I jumped to!! But stumbling on this web page has brought back a lot of good memories of my life near that mall. The cocktails at Johnny Shadows across from the mall, my mom working at A.T. Cross down the street from there. The wild parties in the motel rooms of the Clover Leaf Motel. Working at McDonald’s on a Saturday before Christmas (crazy). My brother working at Anderson-Little. I was one of the first to not wear a Jacket and tie in my Quiver photo, Oh, a trend setter I was… LOL (the Quiver is the Woonsocket High School year book). Great page great stories.

Leon Letendre May 10, 2008

As a former frequenter of the Lincoln Mall, I have nothing but fond memories. Begging my Mom and Gram for more quarters to play skee-ball at Dream Machine, buying Ceasar (my little Maltese – now in puppy heaven) at Rumford Pet Center, looking for new Atari games at KB Toys and going to work at Spencer Gifts next door to the Roast House. Those days were much more simple. Going to the mall now, although it’s still fun to look around, will never match running through the Dream Machine with so many quarters in my pockets that my pants could barely stay up.

Kristen C

Midland Mall (RI Mall) is most likely headed the same way. It’s basically a shell/retail wasteland between three large stores, two of which want no physical connection to the mall as I am sure they’ve seen the handwriting. Back in The Day, Lincoln and Midland Malls, on a Saturday were da bomb. Every kid and his family loved just hanging around and walking by the gauntlets of suited salesmen in the Sears TV Dept which is now (what’s left of Sears which is K-Mart, essentually) all basically self service. Those guys all had CAREERS at places like Sears when it was more than a job to them. I even suspect Warwick Mall is on the decline – one end (what used to be Jordan Marsh/Macys) of it is almost deserted. The saddest fate I ever saw of what was the granddaddy of ALL malls was in Rochester NY, a downtown mall that was the model for such malls as Midland, was now a shell filled with what amounted to flea markets inside of what were always polished and shining shoe stores (Florsheim) or candy shops (Fanny Farmer). There was a used/new CD/DVD store and, a joke shop, and… oddly, a quite active food court.

A hotel employee where I stayed said this place was BIG in the 60’s through the mid-80’s and fell into decline fast as the 90’s wore on and the sprawl of Target, Walmart, continued. He said it was like dominoes how they all left or went under.

Bob E

I still have alot of good memories of the Lincoln Mall. I can still remember sitting in the car, stuck on the highway because there was a ton of people who wanted to see it on its opening day. I was a little kid back then and can still remember the flood of people getting a glipse of all the stores. I can remember Almacs, Caldor, Zayre, K-Mart, and most of all Woolworths. When I was a teen, I would head up there with my friends and catch a movie (when they were like $4), spend all my money at the Dream Machine (always wanted to work there) and grab a bite to eat at Papa Ginos or a shake from the Magic Menu. I still didn’t understand why they had a Lowery organ store there but can still remember that guy playing all day long just to get customers to come into the store.

Looking at it now, it is just a joke. It is now the 8-track player or beta max machine of Rhode Island and should be torn down. I will always have my memories of when it was the “in place” but Lincoln Mall is just sad now.

Joe R.

you forgot to mention when mall was built the Outlet was an anchor.

Domenic

Like with the Rhode Island (formerly Midland) Mall, it is sad to watch the slow demise of Lincoln Mall, though the new movie theatre is 100 times better than the old one.

Chris

I recall the construction of the Lincoln Mall, particularly the unusual exterior wall panels that were cast on site. I believe the mall opened with a Woolco in the space that became Caldor later.

Pete Falina

Hanging at the Lincolm Mall… what else was a teenager in nearby North Smithfield to do? A birthday party at the Papa Gino’s one year and friends’ birthdays at the Dream Machine the next (I always wanted one of my own). I remember the cars that would be parked in the mall (why?). I remember my high school band playing in the central atrium, and looking at the pets in the window at the pet store after a movie with a high school girlfriend. Interesting how the mall has sort of imploded. Makes me wonder what will happen to the Emerald Mall in ten years, or Providence Place in fifteen.

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