Location: 10 Roxbury Mall, Succasunna NJ
The former Succasunna Acme first appeared on the blog back in April 2009. You can jump to that post by clicking here. Be sure to check out the comments section for a highly detailed account of the final years of this Acme. It is a fascinating read!
The photo seen above shows the Acme, which closed in May 1998, having been take over by a Linens N Things. LNT went under in 2008. All these years later, Acme's pyramid remains on the left side. This feature was added during an early 90's remodel over Acme's entrance. LNT sealed up those doors and moved the entrance to the right side of the store. The building is now occupied by a Ramsey Outdoor sports store and still looks very much like this today, with Acme's pyramid still intact.
Missing from the original post were the historic aerial images. At the time, I wasn't aware that such images existed online so they were not included in the posts I was doing back then. For Succasunna, the historic images give us a fascinating look at the original Acme before a fire wiped it out. Let's head back in time for a look...
This is how the shopping center looks today. A Home Depot sits next to the former Acme with a ShopRite on the other side. Acme and ShopRite co-existed here for years. The large building in the middle of the photo is a Kohl's today but started out as Caldor. What you can't see in the photo in the original strip mall that existed along Route 10. Long gone now but we will get a look at it down below.
2007
The shopping center as it is today. Many of the black roves have been painted white.
1995
The Acme was still open in 1995. ShopRite had yet to expand due to the Acme still being in business. The commenter I mentioned from the original post, explained that ShopRite was not permitted to expand while the Acme was still in business. I do remember a change ShopRite made at the store that proved to be a massive disaster. They spent a million dollars on a new entrance the had a giant revolving door. It was similar to what IKEA uses at some of it's stores. The door was so despised by customers, ShopRite had to rip it out and send it to the dump.
1987
Now we're getting to the good stuff. As of 1987, a good ten or more years after the fire, you can see the foundations of the stores that were located closer to Route 10. I'm not sure which pad was the Acme. I remember going to the Acme as a kid and wondering why it was so freakishly far from the main road. I don't think you could see it very well from Route 10, if at all. The field in the center of the property was quiet overgrown.
1979
Slightly better view in 1979. Zoomed in just below...
1979
I would have loved to play here as a kid! I remember being fascinated at the news that the original strip had burned down but don't remember ever seeing on the way to the new Acme.
1971
1970
Interesting how the images get a bit clearer the further back we go. Looks like the first store at the bottom of the photo has been torn down. It was standing in 1963 as seen below...
1963
No idea which building is the Acme or what other stores where here.
1957
I've wondered about the Roxbury Mall since I was probably 10 or 11 years old. Nice to have some answers all these decades later!
The original shopping center in the front burned down around 1973/74/75. I know it was that era because my father, brother and I drove up there to buy a baseball bat at Rockaway Sales (in the same original strip as Acme, Shoprite, etc.) and all we found was a smoldering pile of nothing. Neighbors in my Randolph neighborhood high on the ridge east of Succasunna have since told of seeing the orange glow from the massive fire down in the valley telling of the shopping center's demise the night before. There were a couple of years that passed between the demise of the original shopping center and the building of the Shop-Rite, H.L. Green's, the indoor "mall" next door (the former two were eventually gutted and replaced by Home Depot and a much smaller H.L. Green's moved to the left of Shop-Rite--but didn't last long), and Acme. Plus, Hahn's Bakery, Cheese Block, and the Post Office, too. My family were Shop-Rite shoppers and I remember shopping the "new" Shop-Rite all the time. That (second) SR store has gone through many layouts over the years! It's a shame ACME closed all those years ago due to poor management. Anyway, I know this blog is about ACME, so I thank you for sharing all of the aerial pix and information. Hope my recollections here can add to the full picture!
ReplyDeleteThe ORIGINAL fire that took out Shop Rite in the front mall was in 1968 or 1969 - it wiped out most of the left part of the front mall. The "new" Shop Rite opened in the rear mall in September of 1974 - I was one of the original employees.
ReplyDeleteTo the very left of the picture was the post office.... I remember as a child being excited when the postage went to 5 cents cause it was easy to add! There was H L Greens and a Rickels store which I believe is where my mom said she was shopping with my grandmother the day Kennedy was shot. To the very right of the picture up near the highway was Tony's Hot Dogs .. home of the foot long hot dog! Thank you so much for sharing these pictures !! Great memories !!
ReplyDeleteThe Acme is at the top of the photo, to the left facing Route 10. It was next to a liquor store, HLGreens and Clothing Town. On the other end of the mall was the Shop-Rite, which had burned a few times.
ReplyDeleteThe original Shop Rite is where Fudruckers is along w/a 2 guys. Where Staples is was a glass atrium bank the post office was a stand alone building
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know when the Succasunna Shop Rite was rebuilt?
ReplyDelete