The Westminster Arcade—also known simply as The Arcade—was completed in 1828 and stands as the oldest enclosed shopping mall in the United States. It exemplifies Greek Revival architecture with grand Ionic-colonnaded façades at both ends and an interior corridor illuminated by a full-length skylight. Designed by Russell Warren and Tallman & Bucklin as a European-style commercial passage connecting two streets, it originally housed dozens of small shops.
Initially nicknamed “Butler’s Folly” due to its isolated location, the Arcade sparked downtown expansion after adjacent fashionable retailers drew in patrons. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976, it has survived decline, multiple restorations, and adaptive reuse. In 2013, it reopened as a mixed-use building combining retail on the ground floor with micro-apartments above—an innovative model in urban revitalization.
