Abandoned foundations, lost oaks: Exploring the history of Cary Towne Center

On the final weekend the mall was open, people came from all over Cary to take one last stroll through the empty halls.

Hundreds have now joined a Facebook group dedicated to sharing photos and memories, called Remembering Cary Towne Center.

Some shared memories of when Cousin's Pizza was still in the mall, or when the food court had the iconic 'pit' where students from Cary High School would sit and even smoke during their lunch hour.

Bill Farley, who owns Bandit Towing & Transport, the company that helped tow the iconic train away from the mall, remembers a time before Dave and Busters, back when Caryites spent quarters at Time Out Arcade.

"I've lived in Cary since the 70s," said Farley. "I remember the good old days of Cousin's Pizza and Time Out!"

"I remember the employee who had the change belt in the arcade," he recalled. "You'd give him a dollar, and he would pump quarters out of their belt. That man had so much power!"

Many also remember spending their childhood riding the carousel or the train. The train's new owner has the train in storage, currently, with many people wondering where the train might show up next. Perhaps, if we're lucky, we will be able to ride it again someday.

The carousel's fate, however, is currently unknown.

A step back in time: The early days of Cary Towne Center

It may be hard to believe, but when Cary Towne Center first opened in 1979 as Cary Village Mall, it was a controversial decision that "provoked strong citizen opposition."

But in modern times, the news of the mall's closure has created a wave of nostalgia for the generations who spent their youth eating at Cousin's Pizza or Tater Station, reading books at B Dalton and Christmas shopping at Ivey's.

Today, many of the stores we remember from childhood have been emptied out and locked behind closed gates. The parking lot is surrounded by abandoned foundations of old restaurants – in some places, you can still see the tile floors of a once-popular Ragazzi's, or the footprint foundation of a Taco Bell, overgrown and empty.

A rotting wooden staircase leading down to Maynard Road harkens back to a time when the area bustled with foot traffic.

Some pieces of history have been lost forever – like the antique oak that once overtook the landscape there – with barely any photos remaining to remind future generations they ever existed.

When Cary Village Mall was a BMX track with a huge oak tree

Willie and Smedes York successfully managed Cameron Village in Raleigh, had no idea what they were getting into when they started developing the land for Cary Village Mall.

The project, which was protested from the start, became a monster. The land required an immense amount of grading, leaving bare hills of dirt and construction work in the middle of a sleepy bedroom community, nestled between three schools – an eyesore and even perhaps a danger.

"I remember the big tree and dirt mound that was maintained in the middle of the parking lot outside of the food court for years," said Mike Hiller, member of a local Cary group on social media.

Some Cary-ites recall riding up and down the hills on dirt bikes, or sneaking out to the construction site at night to climb around on the girders.

"When I was a kid it was a homemade BMX track where the oak was," recalled Pete Helton, Jr. "The mall was way smaller, and all that [area] was dirt. That was about 1983."

Many also recall the hauntingly beautiful, enormous, ancient oak that dominated the landscape – a treasure that was lost during the expansion of the mall.

"I have memories of the most beautiful oak tree I've ever seen, which stood in the field in the back of the mall until they expanded and built a parking lot around the tree, near where the food court is," said Barbara Wetmore.

For a few years, developers kept a huge graded mound of dirt around the tree, hoping to keep it alive. Sadly, after standing there for nearly 100 years, the iconic tree died.

"They built this really weird frame around the tree," said Wetmore. "They say it got killed by a thunderstorm, but many don’t think it did."

The tree was so iconic that it was incorporated into the logo for Cary Village Mall. Eventually, however, it was phased out of the logo as well – forgotten by future generations.

Pieces of the tree still survive today. After the tree was cut down, the wood was carved into keepsake acorns by the Triangle Woodturners.

Cary Towne Center's final days

Hundreds have been sharing their memories and photos online, as well as visiting the mall.

"I spent a lot of summers in the the Great American Cookie Company when my grandma was managing! She would give me an allowance to go play at game frog! So many memories!" shared Jesus Madrid.

Robyn Reid remembers playing hide and seek with friends in Hudson Belk until employees would kick them out. "We skipped many a class at Cary High to go across the street for a 'long lunch.' Spent umpteen quarters in that arcade. Visited my friends at Taco Time and Cinnabon for free food. Those were the days," she said.

In a stark contrast to the colorful carousel lights and brightly-colored train – the mall's hallways are full of dark, gated rooms with faded lettering where signs have been scraped clean – a ghost of what once stood there.

Some businesses had people inside, still stripping floorboards and paint, as well as packing inventory.

Many are wondering what will happen to the building once Epic Games takes over. Dave and Buster's is slated to stay open – at least for now.

On the mall's final weekend, many visited to say their goodbyes.

And as you walk out the doors for the last time, the mall says its goodbye as well – its final words to guests on a sign hanging overhead: Thank you for shopping at Cary Towne Center.

A live walkthrough inside of the mall