Eastfield Mall - The Final Days
The iconic Eastfield Mall in Springfield Massachusetts is set to close it doors for good at the end of this week on July 15th. Once that happens, future generations may not remember what this mall was or what it meant to so many people who shopped here. I can recount many trips to this mall with my parents as a kid just to buy an Orange Julius from the food court, then wander the shops looking for deals. I would also spend countless hours searching Sears looking for the correct Craftsman Tool to help complete a repair job on my Mustang. As sad as it is for such a place to close, I understand the need to pivot, to reestablish and reinvent in order to once again thrive. I decided that I needed to document the final days of the Eastfield Mall, for all to remember, so with my trusty camera in tow, I ventured down to the mall in hopes to capture the once bustling landscape as it awaits it fate. To my surprise when I arrived, there were dozens of people also taking one last stroll through the Mall, reminiscing and remember what once was here.
While exploring the Eastfield Mall, I found myself engaged in numerous conversations and meeting an array of intriguing individuals who shared their memories of this beloved mall. However, one encounter stood out among the rest. It happened when I ran across a gentleman named Herb, who, astonishingly, boasted he was 101 years of age. As we exchanged pleasantries, Herb eagerly revealed that he had been employed at Sears when the mall first opened in 1967. Herb said that he use to walk the mall with a friend of his who sadly has passed away, but Herb still continues to visit the mall for the sole purpose of staying active and getting his regular exercise. Herb's dedication and commitment resonated deeply within me, serving as a beautiful testament to the mall's enduring significance in the community and the cherished memories it has bestowed upon its visitors throughout the decades
This is Herb, he started working at Sears in 1967 when the Eastfield Mall first opened.
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