Briarcliff Village shopping center at 2100 Henderson Mill Road opened in 1965. Northlake Mall, across the road, opened six years later.
A grand opening ceremony was held at the new Briarcliff Village on Thursday, March 25, 1965. A full page ad in the March 24, 1965 Atlanta Journal announced the new shopping center with details about the 26 stores and services. The ad describes Briarcliff Village as “set amid an intimate courtyard.”
The shopping center opened with two grocery stores, Kroger and Colonial. That wasn’t unusual at the time. Nearby Chamblee Plaza opened in 1960 also with both Kroger and Colonial grocery stores.
Early Briarcliff Village included Belk-Gallant (Belk’s), J. Howard Shoes, Cricket Shop, and Star Photo. The movie theater was known as Martin’s Village Theater, described as “DeKalb’s newest luxury theatre.” Martin Theaters was a new theater business in Atlanta, based out of Columbus, Georgia. The company began in 1912 when Roy E. Martin purchased the Bonita Theater in Columbus. (Atlanta Journal, April 4, 1965, “Martin to raise curtain on two more city theaters”)
The first movie shown at Martin’s Village Theater was “The Truth about Spring” starring Hayley Mills, John Mills and James MacArthur.
The shopping center was also home to the office of Dr. Jacobs and Dr. Boaz, Optometrists. There was a Village Beauty Shop and Briarcliff Village Barber Shop. Barber Shop owners Gene Moorehead and Hoke Tanner had free pony rides at the grand opening. Other stores included Village Record Shop, Village Shoe Service, Frank Walters Jewelry, Armer’s Cards, G C Murphy, Galaxy Drugs, Economy Auto Store, and Cream House.
Johnny Reb’s, a Confederate themed restaurant, is listed as part of the 1965 version of Briarcliff Village. However, thanks to a reader’s research, we know that the restaurant never opened at the shopping center.
