Shepherd Mall is a former shopping mall located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma that opened in 1964 as the first fully-enclosed indoor shopping mall in Oklahoma City;"Shepherd Mall" OkieModSquad (website) however, by 2003 all of the anchors had closed and the mall was well underway in transitioning to being primarily an office complex.Wiley, Camacho "Last Original Shepherd Mall Store is closed" The Oklahoman (Feb. 27, 2003) Accessed Oct. 10, 2021.
History
The area where Shepherd Mall would later be built was part of a 160 acre homestead claimed by George Shepherd during the land run of 1889. While much of the original homestead was later developed into a housing addition in the early 1930s (which today is known as the Shepherd Historic District), members of the Shepherd family continued to live in the old house (which was surrounded by the mall parking lot after the fall was constructed) until 1970. (The old Shepherd family home was later moved to the Harn Homestead historic site near the state capitol in the 1987.)Defrange, Ann "Historic Shepherd House makes second move to new plot" The Oklahoman (Aug. 14, 1987) Accessed Oct. 10, 2021."History of Shepherd Historic District" ShepherdHistoric.com Accessed Oct. 10, 2021.
Shepherd Mall had its grand opening on Nov. 5, 1964 Advertisement The Oklahoman page 83, Nov 1, 1964. Accessed via Metrolibrary.org database on Oct. 10, 2021. and received local media attention for "creating its own weather" (this was Oklahoma City's first indoor shopping mall)."Mall makes own weather" The Oklahoman Nov. 1, 1964, page 84. Accessed via Metrolibrary.org database on Oct. 10, 2021. It was built by Harmon Construction CompanyAdvertisement "Another Harmon Structure!" The Oklahoman Nov. 1, 1964, page 85. Accessed via Metrolibrary.org database on Oct. 10, 2021. over one and half years."Construction job lasted 1-1/2 years" The Oklahoman Nov. 1, 1964, page 90. Accessed via Metrolibrary.org database on Oct. 10, 2021.
During its heyday, Shepherd Mall was home to both anchor stores like Oklahoma-based chains TG&Y and Kerr's (later occupied by Dillard Brown Dunkin, related to John A. Brown, as well as national chains like McCrory's, Dillards and J.C. Penney but also by smaller stores, restaurants (including the famed El Charrito restaurant"Sidewalk restaurants key mall informality" The Oklahoman page 88, Nov. 1, 1964. Accessed via metrolibrary.org database on Oct. 10, 2021.)and service businesses including at times a travel agency,Jacoby, Ray "Photograph of Rainbow Travel Service, Shepherd Mall, Oct. 29, 1964" Oklahoma Images Archive (Metro Library System) Accessed Oct. 10, 2021. a bank,"Shepherd Mall State Bank" Metrolibrary.org Accessed Oct. 10, 2021 and a credit union.Burkes, Paula "Credit Union Chief deals personally with clients and employees" The Oklahoman (April 14, 2021) The mall also had a two screen movie theater for a time.
In 2017, the complex's name was changed to "Shepherd Center" to reflect the building's current use,Fleming, Molly M. "Renovations, branding update Shepherd Mall into Shepherd Center" (Oct. 26, 2017) Accessed Oct. 10, 2021. and today houses a variety of government and corporate tenants.Listing of rental opening at Shepherd Center, dated 2021
References