Comments on: Forest Lake Park, Forest Lake Shopping Center (Trenholm Road & Forest Drive): 1970s

By: Carol Brooks

Carol Brooks — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 05:49:01 +0000

I grew up with very fond memories of Forest Lake Shopping Center and Trenholm Plaza. I came upon this site and enjoyed reading everyone's memories. I remember when the F.Lake Hair Salon was in the very special corner behind Campbell's Drugs. We had a nice covered walkway with nice benches coming down towards the 5 & !0. There was also a Knit Shop and Brown's Flower Shop there. What ashame such a wonderful shopping center was demolished as SandHills is set up like our dear Forest Lake Shopping Center and WE had covered walkways. Just like Richland Mall. Shopping areas are now, just like what we grew up with. Let's all stay in touch with the Forest Lake Park, as fast food places pop up over night.

By: JB

JB — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 20:51:31 +0000

The Rockbridge Rink only closed in the early 2000's. I'm pretty sure you had to be a member of Rockbridge Club to skate there. Many kids I grew up with, including a younger cousin, took ice skating lessons. It was incredibly tiny. Nothing like the giant rink out toward Chapin.

By: ted

ted — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 07:00:33 +0000

No. I guess it would be a good closing though it hadn't even occurred to me.

I went there two or three times. Once in Scouts to try skating (or falling in my case) and couple of times for ice shows. My memory is that it was not open to the general public, but just to members of the Rockbridge Country Club except by special arrangement. The club is still there (off Rockbridge Road between Trenholm and the lake), but apparently the rink closed some years ago.

By: JBL

JBL — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 04:44:47 +0000

This caught my eye: I never knew there was an ice skating rink in Columbia back in the day! Ted, do you have anything on the Rockbridge Rink?

By: Susan

Susan — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 00:31:01 +0000

Forest Lake shopping center also had a beauty parlor on the breezeway between Campbells and the Piggly Wiggly -on thr right just at the top of the stairs. Near the fountain in the back was a toy store where - purchased Barbie shortly after she debuted_ we parked next an Edsel Ford on the way to the toy store

By: Christina

Christina — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 01:11:41 +0000

I remember all of these things! This is so wonderful because I spent a lot of time with my mom and dad shopping at Forest Lake Shopping Center AND Trenholm Plaza when I was growing up. We used to buy a lot of shoes at Garber's. A bit of trivia, for a long time they were one of the only places in Columbia where you could buy ice skates. I got a pair made by a company called Royal Canadian that I wore the two years I took skating lessons at the old Rockbridge Rink. I treasured those skates!

And Dennis, I remember the monkey from the Trenholm pet store!!!!

By: ted

ted — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 07:34:29 +0000

Thanks Joel!

I think I remember washing at the Norge Village with my mother from time to time when our washer was broke.

By: Joel Gillespie

Joel Gillespie — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 04:12:24 +0000

Here is a picture of my grandfather Curtis C. Gillespie at his cleaners in Forest Lake Shopping Center - in the very early days - http://www.flickr.com/photos/joelgillespie/309733107/. I grew up in and around FLSC and look forward to posting some memories. My grandmother Mary Gillespie had a Norge Village on Trenholm across the street on Trenholm and my dad opened a dry cleaners Gillespie Cleaners next to that in the late 60's.

By: Jim

Jim — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 15:56:38 +0000

Back in the 1970s, Sam Daniel ran a tennis shop in Forest Lake Shopping Center called Lob & Volley. It was a couple of doors down from Campbell's on the Forest Drive-facing side of the center.

By: ted

ted — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:52:43 +0000

Lester, I think this post is about Tommy's though I did not know the name, and this one is about the Carraige House (or what came after that anyway).