The Citadel Outlets
The Citadel in Commerce didn’t start out as an outlets mall. In 1929, Samson Tire and Rubber Company built the largest tire factory west of the Mississippi. The building was constructed as an Assyrian Castle in the grand style of King Sargon II to commemorate ancient Sumerian, Akkadian and Babylonian cultures. Part of the wall that fronts the building features winged guardian genii, figures protecting individuals from evil. The Samson Tire offices and factory were bought by Uniroyal, which ultimately closed the facility in 1978. City of Commerce officials saved it from demolition by declaring it an historic landmark in 1982. They retained Trammell Crow Co. of Dallas, TX, to oversee redevelopment of the property into a shopping center in 1990-91.
Commerce, Los Angeles County
Images by John Bare