belk, piedmont mall

I finally got some pictures of the iconic Belk at Piedmont Mall in Danville, Virginia. The light and the camera phone worked together to create an interesting montage of photographs. I just wish I had better resolution!

This will likely be posted to LiveMalls soon, but this blog is a little less formal, so I can riff all I want and not answer to the decently high standards I've placed on the narritive there.

This store opened as Belk-Leggett in 1984 and replaced a downtown store and a smaller shopping center branch. The exterior is one of the best crafted by Jean Surratt and his associates in the Belk Stores Services architectural department. Unlike most department stores of the era, Belk-Leggett was done in a traditional style, with echoes of Williamsburg and Old Virginia abounding. The lines and details are strong and the design still looks fresh 20 years later.


Main entrance facing Piedmont Drive.


Lower level side entry, facing Central Avenue.


Lower level mall entrance.


Escalator well with three-tiered chandelier and Williamsburg-style detailing.


Escalator well: arches, a skylight, and a chandelier.


Upper level mall entrance at an angle.


Upper level mall entrance.