Dream City: Opening Day Bloopers for The Mall in Columbia

Did you know that opening day, almost exactly 40 years ago on Aug. 2, 1971, was marred with several glitches? But no blooper was big enough to derail the newest economic powerhouse in Columbia that today attracts 18 million shoppers each year.

The flubs included:

A prank. Someone threw soap into the mall’s fountain within 30 minutes of its opening, according to the Aug. 5, 1971 edition of the Columbia Times. The fountain bubbled over, and a Rouse Company employee—the entity that developed the mall—cleaned it up.

Another mess. At the opening, children were given balloons. Many ended up getting stuck in the shopping center's steel rafters.

An injury to a businessman. During the opening ceremony, the wind blew a flag stand, toppling it onto Louis Kohn, chairman of the board of Hochschild Kohn, one of the two anchor department stores open at the mall’s beginning. The Rouse Co. told reporters Kohn only suffered a minor cut to the head.

All trivia aside, the mall is scheduled to have its 40^th anniversary celebration Aug. 2. There will also be various promotions throughout the mall that day: a fashion show, a family-friendly birthday party, as well as a display highlighting key milestones in the mall’s 40 years.

“This mall is very unique,” said Katie Essing, The Mall in Columbia’s general manager. “It was built as the center of Columbia. It’s also the downtown for this area. … If you look at the success of this property, it has no potential of going away. I think it’s going to keep getting stronger.”

About this series: Associate Local Editor Lisa Rossi, with the help of Columbia Archives Manager Barbara Kellner, is writing a series of short posts about how early ideas about Columbia’s past can spur conversations today about its future. Do you have a historical aspect of Columbia you think should be explored? E-mail Lisa at lisa.rossi@patch.com

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This article updates the opening day of the mall, which was Aug. 2, 1971.