‘Tis the season to be “Jolley.” OK, it’s a bad holiday pun of my surname , but maybe it will set the proper mood for another look at the history of Christmas shopping in Chattanooga. Some may remember last year’s article on downtown Chattanooga and its retailing heyday. This year, we’ll look at two pioneering suburban shopping centers, beginning with Highland Plaza.

Highland Plaza, located at Hixson Pike and Ashland Terrace, opened on Sept. 4, 1958 with a dedication led by master of ceremonies, Luther Masingill. In dedicatory remarks, Mayor P. R. “Rudy” Olgiati stated very succinctly why that Highland Plaza would appeal to customers. From his podium overlooking 1,100 parking spaces, Olgiati said that “a lack of parking in the city of Chattanooga was a primary reason that the development was built.” Additionally, Highland Plaza was located in an area that was rapidly changing from a wooded, rural look to one of subdivisions everywhere. The 1948 opening of the DuPont plant, as well as the earlier founding of Dixie Mercerizing in Lupton City, had brought many new residents to the community. A school (DuPont Elementary) and churches (St. Jude’s, Ashland Terrace Christian, St. Peter’s Episcopal) were either under construction or being planned. County Judge Wilkes T. Thrasher prophetically commented at the ceremony that Hamilton County “is growing and that growth will result not only in the Highland Plaza shopping center but in other centers in outlying districts.”

The shopping center was developed by W. B. Wiggins. With a background as a journalist and owner/publisher of a newspaper in Orangeburg, SC, Mr. Wiggins moved into real estate development. He had developed shopping centers in Rossville, Atlanta, and Knoxville prior to becoming responsible for Highland Plaza. In 1954, some merchants who would later be represented in Highland Plaza’s line-up approached Mr. Wiggins with the idea for a center north of the river. After studying potential properties, the 20-acre Hixson Pike/Ashland Terrace tract was selected because of its proximity to downtown, Red Bank, and Hixson. Planning for the $5,000,000 project took four years, while actual construction time was nine months. The architect of the center was Frank Gibson, Collins and Hobbs was the general contractor, and grading was by Stein Construction.

Long-time Hixson resident Tommy Hinch recalls what the area was like prior to the first work crews arriving at the Highland Plaza site. Hixson Pike was “barely a two-lane road,” and nearby streets such as Ashland Terrace and Hamill Road were gravel. Hale’s Drug Store (now Access Drugs) and Dr. William Aiken’s office were on Access Road. Prior to the footings of Highland Plaza being poured, the property briefly hosted a drive-in movie theater. Extensive grading of a hill (hence, the name “highland”) was required, and the dirt was hauled across Ashland Terrace to fill in the site for the future Mulkey and Jackson (M & J) Grocery and Western Auto Store – today, home of a U-Haul Store.

At the entrances to the retail center, customers were beckoned by a large “Highland Plaza Center” sign with the center’s Scottish mascot, Sandy McTavish, atop it. The original store directory of Highland Plaza included A & P Food Store, Cole’s Drugs, Economy Auto, Gordon’s Jewelers, W. T. Grant, Highland Plaza Barber Shop, Kroger, Miles Shoes, Miller Brothers, Miller-Jones Shoes, J. C. Penney, and F. W. Woolworth’s. At each store, customers were invited to sign up for grand opening prizes, including a 1958 Chevrolet Nomad station wagon. If it was like the one that my family had, its only factory option was a heater. Some of the sale items included a $6.95 car battery and $9.87 - $17.87 tires at Economy Auto, hamburger at Kroger for 39 cents/lb. and 2 loaves of bread for 29 cents, $3.98 record albums at Woolworth’s, and a 55-cent hamburger platter at the Woolworth’s lunch counter. No doubt timed to compete with the opening of Highland Plaza, downtown merchants celebrated “Downtown Days,” with the slogan, “Nothing beats downtown shopping.” Free bus rides and free parking were enticements to would-be suburban shoppers.

Hixson residents Charles and Eula Peavyhouse recall that during the grand opening, every parking space was filled and many cars were parked along the road. Mrs. Peavyhouse noted how glad that she was when Highland Plaza opened: “It was a welcome addition for us because we didn’t go downtown very often. At Highland Plaza, I could buy all of my sewing supplies, Christmas gifts, shoes, clothing, and household supplies.” Mr. Peavyhouse remembers baby-sitting two young daughters in the car while their mother shopped. Their children, Jane and Carol, remember an annual carnival, live appearances by children’s TV cowboy Bob Brandy and his horse Rebel, the toy/record departments at some of the stores, and the Girl Scout uniform counter at Miller Brothers. During several Christmas seasons, Santa set up his workshop in a trailer in what is now the fire lane in front of one of the stores. Prime curbside parking was even allowed in what is now the fire lane. We’re more safety-conscious now than in 1958!

The new shopping center quickly gained neighbors, including Shap’s Big Boy (later, Shoney’s), American National Bank (which operated for a while from a trailer), and Ault Hardware. Highland Plaza dominated the north river retailing scene for only fourteen years, however, as Northgate Mall opened in 1972 and attracted stores such as Penney’s and Miller’s. Loveman’s Department Store acquired Highland Plaza in 1971, and moved into space vacated by the Northgate-bound stores. The shopping center was extensively remodeled in recent years, and today includes a wide variety of stores including Big Lot’s, Schenck’s Jewelers, and Food Lion.

If you have memories of Highland Plaza, please send me an e-mail at jolleyh@signaldata.net. Also, though downtown does still have retailers today, what do you think could have “saved” downtown shopping as it existed prior to Highland Plaza? You can also send your thoughts to me in an e-mail, and I’ll summarize some of them in next week’s article on Brainerd Village.