The Legend of the Gun-Shaped Mall In Erie, Pennsylvania, there is a shopping mall shaped like a gun. This architectural flourish, however, is not readily apparent from inside the mall. To visualize Millcreek Mall’s weaponized consumerism, one must rely on aerial views via Google Maps. According to urban legend, the mall, built in 1975, achieved its unique shape thanks to a rather dubious backstory. In his essay “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere,” James M. Russell brings that backstory to...
