Westfarms, which spans the West Hartford and Farmington town lines, officially opened its doors on Oct. 14, 1974.

By Ronni Newton

Fifty years ago, on Oct. 14, 1974, the opening of Westfarms transformed the central Connecticut shopping experience – with 31 businesses also opening their doors on day one and 65 stores and restaurants open by the end of the first year – and a half-century later, the shopping center is still thriving, continuing to achieve high lease rates amid well-publicized financial woes being experienced by other indoor malls throughout the region and the country.

The concept of Westfarms was first envisioned in the 1960s, the idea of having a retail hub just 6.6 miles from downtown Hartford, said Westfarms spokesperson Amanda Sirica. The land on which Westfarms was built was formerly farmland and known as the Corbin Homestead, and later the site of Camille Torza’s driving range.

The property physically spans the West Hartford and Farmington town lines, “hence its name ‘Westfarms,'” Sirica said.

While at the time it was built Westfarms was a new and modern concept – and the largest shopping mall in New England in the 1970s – retail was not new to this area of town by the time it was completed. Across the street, the Corbin’s Corner Shopping Center had opened years earlier, in 1961, rising from what had previously been Gerth Farm.

“Over the past 50 years, Westfarms has served at the heart of its thriving community,” said Westfarms General Manager Elizabeth Ryan. “We’ve grown from 65 stores in 1974 to over 150, among those today include iconic stores and restaurants like Tiffany & Co., Louis Vuitton, Arhaus, Tory Burch, and Texas de Brazil.

Two business that were part of the Oct. 14, 1974 dedication remain at Westfarms. “JCPenney and Michael’s Jewelers were original tenants and remain today, and Munson’s is also a long-term historical tenant,” Sirica said.

Other early tenants, which may spark memories for long-time area residents, include B. Dalton Bookseller, Herman’s World of Sporting Goods, the Pie Plate, Singer Sewing, Friendly’s, Casual Corner, Burger King, Fields Hosiery, and The Ormond Shop. The list of stores in the clip below was an early advertisement for Westfarms provided by Sirica.

In addition to JCPenney, there were two other anchor stores when Westfarms first opened: G. Fox and Sage Allen.

Westfarms also included a movie theater when it opened, and “Gone with the Wind” was the first feature shown. The theater closed in 1984 according to online records.

The first major expansion to Westfarms was in the early 1980s, and as part of that Lord & Taylor relocated from West Hartford’s Bishops Corner to a 115,000 square foot store on the western side of Westfarms. Lord & Taylor opened on April 11, 1983, and was a popular destination for generations of shoppers until it closed in 2020. The transition of that space to Jordan’s Furniture – which boasts a giant LED video wall and will soon include Sally’s Apizza – in late 2023 has been touted as among the ways that Westfarms has remained on a path of success by adapting to the times and changes to the nature of the in-person shopping experience.

In 1993, G. Fox store was rebranded as Filene’s, and when Sage Allen closed their space, also in 1993, it ultimately became the home of the Filene’s mens and home store. In September 2006, both of those spaces transitioned to Macy’s.

Another expansion and renovation with a total investment of $100 million took place at Westfarms in the mid-1990s, and that included a facelift for several of the department stores and the the addition of two parking garages. Seattle-based upscale department store Nordstrom opened its first New England store on Aug. 1, 1997, Sirica said.

That expansion brought Westfarms to its current capacity of 1.27 million leasable square feet.

In early 2008, The Taubman Company, Westfarms’ owner, undertook an $8 million renovation, and began an effort to attract more luxury brands. Twelve new luxury stores opened as part of that initiative, including Tiffany & Co. and Louis Vuitton.

The New Britain Avenue entrance was also renovated as part of the $8 million investment – flanked by new restaurants PF Chang’s (December 2008) and Brio (May 2009). Both restaurants remain in their original spots at Westfarms, and both are the chains’ only locations in Connecticut.

There are two major works of art that were gifted to Westfarms – which have been on display since day one. Both are so ubiquitous that visitors may often walk by without notice. In the north court, right outside the door to Macy’s is “Hope” – an abstract geometric sculpture by New Haven artist Buky Schwartz.

On the other end, in the south court in front of the entrance to JCPenney, “Alphabet Spire VI” was constructed by former NASA engineer William Crutchfield as a tribute to the alphabet, which he considered one of the greatest inventions.

“We were at the forefront of energy reduction,” Sirica said.

In 2019, a 6,824-panel ground-mounted solar installation was built at a cost of $9.2 million – a combination of a carport and panels on the roof – and to this day it offsets almost 100% of the common area energy use.

Westfarms does not have a food court, but the roughly 3,000 square foot Center Court area provides the setting for seasonal activities and special events, serving as a community hub. In the past, fashion shows, art shows, and even a wedding in 2006 where Natasha Bedingfield served as the entertainment have taken place there.

Center Court received a facelift in 2014, as part of Westfarms’ 40th anniversary.

Santa takes up annual residence each holiday season, and Westfarms has “the only Santa’s Flight Academy in New England,” Sirica said. The jolly guy in the big red coat will arrive this year on Nov. 8 to welcome the launch of the holiday season. “People come from all over New England for it,” she added.

The patterns of shoppers have changed, but Westfarms has brands and stores that resonate for those at all stages of their life – whether shopping for the latest teen fashions, wedding rings, buying an interview suit for a first post-college interview, or purchasing baby clothes or decor for the home.

“We have over 50 unique brands in our market,” Sirica said, and that helps Westfarms attract guests for all over the region. “We continue to stay fresh and relevant with the latest brands.”

Some West Hartford residents and other members of the local community shared their thoughts – and some of their first, or most notable, memories of Westfarms.

“When I first moved to this area, I was a news anchor and reporter at NBC-Connecticut, and I didn’t know how to do the makeup for TV,” Derek Slap, who currently represents West Hartford as state Senator in the 5th District, said of one of his earliest Westfarms memories. “And so a couple of people watched me and said, ‘Your makeup is terrible. It looks like you have jaundice.’ … They said you’ve got to go to Westfarms and go to the Mac store.”

Slap had grown up in Springfield and had been to Westfarms previously, but that occasion was one of his first visits since returning to the Hartford area in 1999.

“So I went to the Mac store and they hooked me up,” he recalled.

Adrienne Billings-Smith, who is a resident and West Hartford’s equity officer, relocated with her family from Florida 10 years ago. “Westfarms is one of the first places that we visited when we came up and decided to move to West Hartford, and we just loved everything about it. We’re from a mall state and we love a good mall – a place to shop and take the kids. I remember my niece, that’s where she got her ears pierced,” Billings-Smith said.

Recently, someone told her they wanted to go to Texas de Brazil, “and I said it’s at Westfarms,” she said, noting that it’s great that the mall has been able to successfully retain its longevity.

“Westfarms was the place to come growing up,” said Kate Farrar, who now lives in town and represents the 20th State House District, but is originally from Norfolk, CT, about a 45-minute drive. “Always when you had a special occasion you had to come to Westfarms,” she said. “We made the drive because Westfarms really had everything you might want.”

Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, who was in West Hartford last week for a press conference, also weighed in with an early Westfarms memory. “Every holiday season when my kids were little I would take them to sit with Santa Claus and get their picture made.” She said her kids would always look forward to sitting in Santa’s laps and then doing something fun afterwards.

Bysiewicz, who raised her family in Middletown, said she can’t believe Westfarms is 50 years old.

“Every third week in August, when it was tax-free week in Connecticut, I would also put all my kids in the car and do the back-to-school shopping at the Gap, at Penneys,” she also recalled. “With the three of them – two girls and a boy – it was always a challenge to do that all at once, but the best thing about Westfarms was that everything you needed, from jeans to t-shirts, to sneakers, it was all there,” Bysiewicz recalled.

West Hartford Mayor Shari Cantor was in high school when Westfarms opened. “I was going with my friends, shopping with my friends in a cool mall,” she said. Westfarms was where she shopped for her prom dress, and she said she also loved going to Lord & Taylor.

“Rainforest Cafe, I loved going there with the kids,” said Cantor – although the realistic animal display frightened one of her boys, she added.

Westfarms remains dedicated to serving generations of shoppers and is welcoming the community to join in the celebration of the shopping center’s 50th anniversary.

“This milestone marks half a century of serving the community, and we thank our local families, shoppers, and employees for their support,” Ryan, Westfarms’ general manager, said. Shoppers can participate with the following historical appreciation campaign:

• 50 Thank Yous: Westfarms will be surprising random shoppers with gift cards. Fifty, $50 gift cards will be handed out throughout October. Select winners will be featured on Facebook and Instagram with a nod to their favorite Westfarms store or restaurant.
• What’s Your Westfarms Story?: Shoppers can relive their most memorable Westfarms’ experience. Now through October 20th, customers can enter to win a 500-word essay contest on shopwestfarms.com. Shoppers can share their stories capturing joy and nostalgia, or an experience they look back on fondly. Stories will be reviewed by a panel of judges and one lucky winner will be awarded $500.
• Themed Photo Opportunity: Capture the memories of this milestone in Center Court with a festive, celebratory photo backdrop featuring a large “50” sign adorned with shimmering lights and balloons through October 31^st. Tag us a @shopwestfarms for a chance to be featured on Westfarms Instagram.
• Historical Flashbacks: Follow @shopwestfarms closely on Instagram to learn about Westfarms historical milestones.

Westfarms currently has more than 600 employees, “who work and live in our community,” said Sirica.

“On behalf of the West Hartford Chamber, I would like to congratulate Westfarms on their 50th anniversary. Since opening in 1974, Westfarms has been an active and engaged member of the local community,” said Chris Conway, president and CEO of the West Hartford Chamber of Commerce.

“The Chamber has benefited from many members of Westfarms’ leadership team serving on our board of directors over the past five decades. We look forward to supporting their efforts over the next half-century and beyond,” Conway said.

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