The Shops at Willow Lawn and Olive Peterson

The center, originally called Willow Lawn Shopping Center, opened in 1956. Originally, the center was anchored by G.C. Murphy, Giant Food, JCPenney, Peoples Drug, Safeway, and Woolworth. Safeway later re-located to the former Giant Food space; the original Safeway was torn down for Hess's. This Hess's store, over time, was renamed to Leggett, and then to Belk, which closed in 1998.

In 1986, Federal Realty Trust acquired the shopping center. The middle section of the mall was enclosed that year, creating a hybrid strip mall/enclosed mall. The enclosed portion featured several more stores, as well as a food court. Miller & Rhoads closed in 1988, and was sub-divided into smaller stores and offices.

Through the 1980s, Willow Lawn lost many of its key stores as other malls opened nearby. JCPenney closed in the late 1990s and was replaced with a Hannaford Bros. Co. supermarket, until that chain sold its Richmond locations to Kroger. Peoples Drug became CVS/Pharmacy, which it is to this day. G.C. Murphy and Woolworth also closed; these stores later became Barnes & Noble and Tower Records, respectively.

In 1996, Barksdale Theatre, Central Virginia's leading professional theatre, made The Shops at Willow Lawn its new home. The theatre still presents its Signature Season there today. Theatre IV, the Children's Theatre of VA, occasionally performs at the theatre. Dillard's opened at Willow Lawn in 1998, replacing the former Belk. This Dillard's did not last long, however, and was closed by 2004. The former Dillard's was soon replaced with Gold's Gym and Ross Dress For Less. Barnes & Noble, which opened in the 1990s, moved out in 2000 and was replaced with Staples. Remodeling in 2005. The enclosed mall area beyond this point was in the process of being demolished and made into an outdoor shopping center, while the remainder of the mall was remodeled.

Federal Realty began a renovation of the mall in 2005, taking a portion of the enclosed mall and returning it to an open-air strip. Also in 2005, Ben Franklin Crafts (which was formerly an outparcel) and K & G Fashion Superstore moved into the mall, the latter replacing most of the food court. Tower Records closed in 2006 due to Chapter 11 Bankruptcy liquidation.

In 2011, Willow Lawn began another renovation, demolishing the remnants of the enclosed mall and food court. In 2012, the central section of Willow Lawn is set to reopen with new stores and an open-air courtyard. Old Navy and a few other tenants relocated to stores in other central parts of the existing complex.

Olive Peterson and The Shops at Willow Lawn

Peterson was one of several strong bridge players based in Philadelphia. She was the "chief assistant" of Milton Work, an extraordinarily successful lecturer and writer on the game (and sometimes called its "Grand Old Man"), when she developed a partnership with young Charles Goren. Goren "became Mr. Work's technical assistant by the end of the decade".

Peterson and Work conducted a 36-day bridge cruise on the ocean liner Carinthia to the North Cape, Norway, and Russia in 1933. After he died in June 1934, Peterson assisted Goren "especially at bridge teachers' conventions"; "in seminars for 35 years".

Peterson and Maud Zontlein were the first winners of the Whitehead Trophy in 1930, the national championship for women pairs that continues as the Whitehead Women's Pairs (North America-level in the ACBL). With different partners she won again in 1932 (Mrs. Jay Jones) and 1945 (Peggy Golder), placed second in 1935 (Doris Fuller). In the Hilliard Mixed Pairs, then the premier tournament for mixed pairs (male–female), she was 1942 runner-up with John R. Crawford and 1943 winner with Goren. In women teams-of-four, she was a winner in 1938 and 1942, a runner-up four times from 1948 to 1954 – perhaps in partnership with Peggy Golder/Solomon from 1942 onward (Women's Board-a-Match Teams). In mixed teams, she was a winner four times from 1940 to 1944 and a runner-up in 1952 (Master Mixed Teams). She was Master Individual runner-up in 1942; women were winners only twice, runners-up only twice, in thirty renditions before that individuals championship was discontinued.

Peterson and Margaret Wagar became ACBL Life Masters number 36 and 37 in 1943, the fourth and fifth women to achieve the rank after Sally Young, Helen Sobel, and Peggy Solomon.

Peterson died in Philadelphia, probably February 11, 1965. At the time she was reported to be 66 or 67 years old.

Contents 1 Publications 2 Bridge accomplishments 2.1 Honors 2.2 Wins 2.3 Runners-up 3 Notes 4 References 5 External links

Publications

In a bridge column published during the week following her death, Alan Truscott credited Peterson with four books but named none of them. One Hundred and One Celebrated Hands in Contract Bridge: Bid and Played, edited by Milton Work and Peterson (Philadelphia: John C. Winston Co., 1933), 215 pp., OCLC 16727481 The Work–Peterson Accurate Valuation System of Contract Bridge, Work and Peterson (Winston, 1934), 101 pp., OCLC 3344065 Common-sense Contract: Featuring the Goren System, foreword by Charles Goren (Peterson, 193?), 80 pp., OCLC 51572224 Bridge accomplishments Honors Honorary Secretary of the ACBL, 1951 – recognizing "her many executive contributions to the game" Wins North American Bridge Championships (10) Whitehead Women's Pairs (3) 1930, 1932, 1945 Hilliard Mixed Pairs (1) 1943 Wagar Women's Knockout Teams (2) 1938, 1942 Chicago Mixed Board-a-Match (4) 1940, 1942, 1943, 1944 Runners-up North American Bridge Championships Master Individual (1) 1942 Whitehead Women's Pairs (1) 1935 Hilliard Mixed Pairs (1) 1942 Wagar Women's Knockout Teams (4) 1948, 1950, 1953, 1954 Chicago Mixed Board-a-Match (1) 1952 Notes ^ a b Five notices without any explicit dates constitute the Chicago Tribune "Deaths Elsewhere" for February 12, 1965; the notice for "Mrs. Olive Peterson" makes her age 67. The subsequent New York Times bridge column makes her 66. Birth year 1894 makes her 70 or 71.
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