The Washington Mall was opened on October 17, 1968 with a total of 45 stores. The mall was anchored by J. C. Penney which had a freestanding auto center. The mall also featured G. C. Murphy, a Thorofare Grocery Store, and Giant Eagle as junior anchors. Staples was under construction in 1996, taking over what was originally the Marianne Shop. Thompson Hardware closed inJune 1997, and was later replaced by Dollar General. Pottery Factory Outlet closed its doors in February 1998, and Giant Eagle closed its doors in 1999, however continued to pay its lease through 2001. Afterthoughts closed in December 1999, and Altmeyer closed that same year. In 2001, JCPenney announced a remodel of their store to introduce houseware and custom decorating departments to the location. A REX store was also announced to open in the former Pottery Factory Outlet space, in addition to a D&K Stores next to Dollar General. At this time the mall's Baskin-Robbins store closed and converted to "Pap Pap's" Ice Cream after the owner said he could no longer afford franchise fees. Plans were announced in 2004 to convert the mall into a more traditional shopping plaza, retaining anchors Staples, JCPenney, and Toys R Us and adding an 88,000 sq ft space for a new anchor. However, these plans were later delayed, and never came to fruition. JCPenney closed in February 2007 and relocated to the defunct Foundry shopping center less than a mile away in March 2007; however, due to ground settling problems at the aforementioned retail complex and financial difficulties with the property owner, JCPenney moved back to the Washington Mall in mid-September 2008. On January 15, 2014, it was announced that JCPenney would be closing as part of a plan to close 33 stores nationwide. The store closed in May 2014. , the remaining tenants include Staples, Toys "R" Us, Grand China Buffet and Grille, and Harbor Freight Tools. Since 2014, a Spirit Halloween store has occupied part of the JCPenney first floor., the Toys "R" Us is slated to close leaving only Staples, Grand China Buffet and Harbor Freight Tools which are outlying stores and not in the actual mall. The mall was at one time the preeminent place for shopping in Washington. Up until the 1990s, it was faring its own. However, as the crosstown rival Franklin Mall was expanded and completely remodeled, Washington Mall was severely affected by this. There have been plans to demolish and rebuild the mall as a strip shopping center, although nothing has materialized.
