| Art Deco |
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| KRESS STORES (page 1) |
| S.H. Kress & Co. was founded by Samuel Kress in 1896. They built over 250 five-and-dime stores in 29 states between 1896 and 1955. Samuel Kress was an art collector and took pride in creating beautiful buildings. Although many of the buildings shown here are not Art Deco, I include them for the sake of keeping them all together. |
| Kress Salisbury, NC |
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| The Salisbury Kress was built in 1910 and was the first air-conditioned building in town. This building design was typical of Kress' "yellow brick" stores. It is believed to have been store #221 of the chain. It was restored (bottom photo) and is now known as "Kress Plaza" with office, retail, and residential space. [top photo at left thanks J.C. Ludwig; bottom photo Robby Delius] |
| Kress Waco, TX |
Kress New Orleans, LA |
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This Waco Kress has been abandoned and boarded up for some time. I can't find a build date or any other info about it. For more, see this website.
The New Orleans Kress was built in 1912 and opened in 1913. It was a Kress store until 1963. It was designed by Emile Weil, a prominent New Orleans architect. The building was faced with glazed white terra cotta and French details. In later years, the building was home to a GAP clothing store. This building along with its former next-door-neighbor, the Maison Blanche Department Store, were converted into the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. The hotel opened in 2000. The Kress main entrance is now an automobile entrance. Hypervigilant security guards prevented me from getting any more photos. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. |
| Kress Billings, MT |
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| This Billings Kress Building was constructed from 1923-1925. The building originally housed "J.E. Muzzy Grocery" and "Modern Shoe Repair Shop". Kress bought the building around 1930. For more, see this website. |
| Kress Albuquerque, NM |
Kress Provo, UT |
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This Albuquerque Kress Building was built in 1925. The building was vacant in 2006. For more, see this website.
The Provo Kress Building has been greatly remodeled, however the painted wall sign still remains. The building is now home to NuSkin Enterprises. |
| Kress Tampa, FL |
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| The original Tampa Kress was built in 1900 at this site. It was demolished and replaced with this building in 1929. The architect was G.E. McKay. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and features a suspended bronze marquee and two terra cotta façades. This Kress stands between a former Woolworth's and a former Newberry's. The block is now being converted into office, retail, and residential space that will be known as "Kress Square". There is another former Kress on Florida Avenue in Tampa from 1908. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. |
| Kress Youngstown, OH |
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| The Youngstown Kress was built in 1925 and is clad with white terra cotta. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Register lists other names for the building "Wilkins and Leonard" and "Grayson Shops" which must have been later uses. The building is vacant now but in 2006, there is talk of converting it into a sports museum. |
| Kress San Antonio, TX |
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| The San Antonio Kress was built in 1905 and remodeled in 1939. The store closed sometime around the mid-1980s and has been vacant since. However, in 2006, the upper floors were under wraps while the building was being renovated. There are plans to develop it as a hotel. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. |
| Kress Montgomery, AL |
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| The Montgomery Kress was built in 1929 in a Greek temple design. In 2006, it appeared vacant. For more, see this website. |
| Kress Memphis, TN |
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| The Memphis Kress opened in 1927 and closed in 1994. The building features a colorful and detailed terra cotta façade styled after an Italian Renaissance palazzo. This Kress was the fourth one built in Memphis. It was renovated in 2004-2005 and is now used by the Marriott Springhill Suites. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. |
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