CHARLESTOWN, N.Y. --For more than 100 years an old brick building has stood strong along Turner Street in East Utica. 

Most people remember it as the former Charlestown U.S.A Outlet Mall, but it's history goes back much further, back to 1902. 

"They were one of the major manufacturers of weapons for the United States military something which a lot of people probably don't recognize when they drive past the factory site today," said Brian Howard, Oneida County Historical Society Executive Director.

Founded in the city of Utica, Savage Arms was the first company to occupy the massive factory site. 

The entire property spanned more than 30 acres, stretching into the town of Frankfort. 

Some of Savage Arms' most recognizable products were the Model 99 hunting rifle and the tommy gun. 

"Most of the big money that came in for Savage came in the form of government contracts, especially during Word Wars I and II," Howard said.

By the 1950s, after the wars were over, Savage Arms vacated the property leaving it empty until Sperry UNIVAC, a computer company, moved in a few years later. 

"Savage Arms was a busy place, had three shifts, had about eight or nine thousand people working," said Frank Tomaino, Oneida County Historical Society Trustee. "Sperry UNIVAC the same thing, was a very busy plant."

Sperry UNIVAC operated out of the location for nearly 2 decades and left in the late 70s... selling it to a Utica businessman, Charles Gaetano, who decided to transform the old factory into a completely different type of venue. 

"Yes it is a bit of a stretch that a retail center would exist in that same location, but it was a good solid site, it was on a major thoroughfare in our region, and the Charlestown Factory Outlet really left a mark on the area," Howard said.

The outlet mall became a place where local vendors would lease space to sell their products at a discounted price. 

In the 80s... there were more than 50 businesses, two restaurants and an Off Track Betting Parlor operating out of the mall. 

"There was a restaurant there called Charlie G's that was phenomenal," said Michael Cancilla, Charlestown Mall of Utica LLC Manager. "It had a nice big deck in the back, with the pond there, with coy fish in it and it was thriving in its days. And that's no longer the case."

Once the mall closed in 1991, the building was leased to businesses... but never again received the same amount of maintenance and care. Current owner, Michael Cancilla, says he originally had big plans to redevelop the property into loft apartments... but that dream may be out of reach. 

"We had applied three years ago, four years ago, for the Restore New York grant," said Cancilla. "We did not get the grant, one of the reasons was it wasn't shovel ready."

However, Cancilla says he's still holding out hope that some day a developer will see the site's potential and bring it back to it's former glory. A piece of history, he says city residents aren't ready to let go of.