Paddock arcade
Encyclopedia
The Paddock Arcade is a 19th century shopping mall located in Watertown, New York. Built in 1850, it is the second oldest covered shopping mall in the United States
. Since it has seen uninterrupted use since it opened in 1850, it carries the distinction of being the country's oldest, continuously operating covered shopping mall. The Paddock Arcade was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1976.
At No. 1 Public Square
, the arcade remains the benchmark structure in Watertown's historic downtown district. The structure runs perpendicular to the adjoining Paddock Building. The arcade was built in the Gothic style, topped with a glass roof that allowed daylight to filter through. The Paddock Building contains a 19th century Italianate facade.
In the 1920s, a large section of the Paddock Building was demolished to make way for new construction. Also in the 1920s, arcade owners put forth a major redesign of the arcade, eschewing its original Gothic interior with a more modern design, which included the installation of the current translucent, steel-and-wire-glass dropped ceiling between its second and third stories. This ceiling still allowed light to filter in from the arcade's glass roof.
The arcade still functions as a shopping and business center in Watertown's downtown district. In recent years, structural and aesthetic improvements, coupled with new businesses are helping to guarantee the arcade's future. The arcade is the current home to The Different Drummer Internet Cafe, Johnny D's Casual Dining, Moontide Arts Fashion and New Age, Paddock Club Tavern, [Steve Weed Productions], The Village Peddler bicycle shop, Paddock Antiques, The Paddock Coffee House, Coleman Montessori, and Arcade Barber & Beauty Shop. In 2007, It was announced that the arcade would be host to Watertown's popular farmers market for its extended fall season.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Since it has seen uninterrupted use since it opened in 1850, it carries the distinction of being the country's oldest, continuously operating covered shopping mall. The Paddock Arcade was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1976.
Location and Architecture
Public Square (Watertown, New York)
Public Square is an open mall that lies in the center of Watertown, New York. The square is listed as Public Square Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places. The district encompasses 58 contributing buildings, 1 contributing site, and 3 contributing objects.-Description:The...
, the arcade remains the benchmark structure in Watertown's historic downtown district. The structure runs perpendicular to the adjoining Paddock Building. The arcade was built in the Gothic style, topped with a glass roof that allowed daylight to filter through. The Paddock Building contains a 19th century Italianate facade.
History
The arcade was built by Watertown native Loveland Paddock and designed by architect Otis Wheelock. It was based on similar arcades built during that era in the United States and Europe. Shops occupied the bottom floor, while the upper floors were used for office space.In the 1920s, a large section of the Paddock Building was demolished to make way for new construction. Also in the 1920s, arcade owners put forth a major redesign of the arcade, eschewing its original Gothic interior with a more modern design, which included the installation of the current translucent, steel-and-wire-glass dropped ceiling between its second and third stories. This ceiling still allowed light to filter in from the arcade's glass roof.
Today
See also
- Public Square (Watertown, New York)Public Square (Watertown, New York)Public Square is an open mall that lies in the center of Watertown, New York. The square is listed as Public Square Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places. The district encompasses 58 contributing buildings, 1 contributing site, and 3 contributing objects.-Description:The...
- Italianate architectureItalianate architectureThe Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
- Gothic Revival architectureGothic Revival architectureThe Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
- Galleria Vittorio Emanuele IIGalleria Vittorio Emanuele IIThe Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is a double arcade in the center of Milan, Italy. The structure is formed by two glass-vaulted arcades intersecting in an octagon covering the street connecting Piazza del Duomo to Piazza della Scala....
- Cleveland arcadeCleveland ArcadeThe Arcade in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, is a Victorian-era structure of two nine-story buildings, joined by a five-story arcade with a glass skylight spanning over 300 feet , along the four balconies....
- Westminster ArcadeWestminster ArcadeThe Westminster Arcade or Providence Arcade was a historic shopping center in Providence, Rhode Island. It was the first enclosed shopping mall in the United States, built in 1828...
, the oldest enclosed shopping mall in the United States