Shirlington Shopping Center
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| Location | Shirlington, Arlington, Virginia |
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| Coordinates | 38°50′27″N 77°5′16″W / 38.84083°N 77.08778°WCoordinates: 38°50′27″N 77°5′16″W / 38.84083°N 77.08778°W |
| Opening date | 1944 |
| Owner | Federal Realty Investment Trust |
| Website | The Village at Shirlington |
The Village at Shirlington opened as Shirlington Shopping Center in 1944, and was the first large shopping center to open in the Washington, D.C. suburbs and one of the earliest in the United States. It is located along Campbell Avenue (formerly South 28th Street) at the intersection of Shirley Highway and Quaker Lane / Shirlington Road in Arlington, Virginia. The center has been known since the mid-1980s as The Village at Shirlington.
The center was originally developed by Joseph Cherner, automobile dealer and banker, on a 231⁄2 acre site to provide for the basic shopping needs of the nearby sprawling Parkfairfax, developed by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, and the Defense Homes Corporation development at Fairlington. He established the Shirlington Corporation in August 1943, and the first store opened in June 1944. The center expanded gradually, with an increasing variety of retail offerings. In 1947, the local women’s clothing chain Jelleff's chain opened a 7,000-square-foot (650 m2) store; its fourth branch and first suburban location. It was also known as ‘’’Shirlington Business Center’’’. By the time of its fifth anniversary, there were 48 stores operating in the shopping center. In addition to Jelleff's, there was an Acme supermarket, F.W. Woolworth, Singer Sewing Center, Fanny Farmer candy, Firestone as well as standard local offerings, such as a Shirley Food Store. In 1951, the center expanded with 25 additional stores.
On September 14, 1959, the Lansburgh's department store opened its second suburban branch location at Shirlington. The 150,000-square-foot (14,000 m2) store cost $2.5 million to construct. It would be the center’s only anchor department store. It closed in May 1973, and reopened as a Best Products store.
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