Hecht's, River Ridge Mall, Lynchburg, Virginia. Photographed with camera phone 5/20/2005.

Macy's, River Ridge Mall, Lynchburg, Virginia. Temporary signage with new lighted Macy's sign placed undreneath. Photographed with camera phone 7/28/06.

Macy's (former Thalhimers and Hecht's), River Ridge Mall, Lynchburg, Virginia. Exterior entrance. Photographed 9/7/08.


Hecht's, River Ridge Mall, Lynchburg, Virginia, mall entrance. Photographed with camera phone 5/20/2005.

Macy's, River Ridge Mall, Lynchburg, Virginia. Mall entrance with temporary Hecht's signage. New Macy's signage placed undreneath. Photographed with camera phone 7/28/06.

Macy's, River Ridge Mall, Lynchburg, Virginia. Interactive electronic directory showing information for Hecht's. Photographed with camera phone 7/28/06.

Hecht's, River Ridge Mall, Lynchburg, Virginia. Misses Sportswear department. Photographed with camera phone 9/20/2005.

Hecht's, River Ridge Mall, Lynchburg, Virginia. Portal to up eascalator and men's department. Photographed with camera phone 9/20/2005.

Hecht's, River Ridge Mall, Lynchburg, Virginia. Young Men's department. Photographed with camera phone 9/20/2005.

Hecht's, River Ridge Mall, Lynchburg, Virginia. Men's Sportswear department. Photographed with camera phone 9/20/2005.

Hecht's, River Ridge Mall, Lynchburg, Virginia. Men's Shoes department. Photographed with camera phone 9/20/2005.

Hecht's, River Ridge Mall, Lynchburg, Virginia. Men's Polo Ralph Lauren department. Photographed with camera phone 9/20/2005.

Hecht's, River Ridge Mall, Lynchburg, Virginia. China department. Photographed with camera phone 9/20/2005.

Hecht's, River Ridge Mall, Lynchburg, Virginia. Small Appliances department. Photographed with camera phone 9/20/2005.

The Hecht's store at River Ridge Mall was orginally opened as Thalhimers in 1980 and was the first anchor to open at the Lynchburg mall. At 130,000 square feet on two levels with a third floor storage area that also functions as a sign tower, it was the first large Thalhimers store in Western Virginia.

The exterior design of the building was Brutalist architecture, utilizing grooved concrete blocks, anodized aluminum trim, heavily tinted glass windows, and lots of angled surfaces on the exterior. The interior was of a classic late '70s design, with parabolic light fixtures, selling areas seperated into several large rooms, fully enclosed escalator wells, and splashes of color among largely neutral walls and floors. Originally, the store featured a number of amenities, including a hair salon, a fur salon and the Sword & Kilt, a Scottish-themed full-sevice restaurant.

In 1990, Thalhimers was purchsed by the May Department Stores Company which operated the chain as a seperate division until 1992, when it was folded into May's Hecht's division. As Hecht's, the hair salon, fur salon and restaurant were converted to stockroom space and the merchandise quality was severely downgraded, including the elimination of the furniture, rug, and electronics departments.

As of 2005, Hecht's at River Ridge Mall is still largely as it was in 1980, design-wise, with only minor modifications made over the years. This store is in need of a major remodeling, but will likely not recieve it in the near future.

In 2005, The May Department Stores Company merged with Federated Department Stores. The Hecht's division was eliminated and the former Hecht's stores will soon be operated by Federated's Macy's division. Hecht's River Ridge is scheduled to officially convert to Macy's in September 2006.