Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Automatic Fire Sprinkler System Plans for Basement Storage and First Floor Sales Area |
Object Name |
Drawing, Technical |
Collection |
S.H. Kress & Company Collection |
Description |
Blue line copy on paper of automatic fire sprinkler system plans for basement storage and first floor sales areas. Completed by Wulff's Automatic Sprinkler Company, and approved by Sprinklered Risk Department (Pacific Fire Rating Bureau). |
Context |
The S.H. Kress & Company, founded by Samuel H. Kress, opened over 300 5-10-25 cent stores in thirty states from New Jersey to Florida and across to California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii. The first Kress store opened in Memphis, Tennessee in 1896. Many of the early Kress stores started out in rented spaces. By 1909, the Company began to open its stores in new structures created by S.H. Kress & Company architects like Edward F. Sibbert and Seymour Burrell, or built for it by contractors and held under lease. The Kress stores particularly thrived during the Great Depression, as they sold inexpensive products in luxurious spaces. Kress stores ranged in architectural styles, from Neoclassical to Art Deco to Modern and International. Towards the end of the S.H. Kress & Company life, shopping centers and malls overtook free-standing commercial buildings as the preferred retail locations, and new Kress stores were placed in large multistore structure. In 1964, the S.H. Kress & Company was purchased by Genesco, Incorporated, and the company was liquidated in 1980 and 1981. Some of the buildings have been demolished, while others have been renovated and adapted. The documents, plans, photographs, and objects that were gifted to the National Building Museum by numerous donors provide a rich array of information relevant to business, social, architectural, land use, race relations, and commercial history in the United States. |
Catalog Number |
1989.13.2.19.82 |
Credit Line |
Courtesy of National Building Museum, gift of Genesco, Inc. |
Area / Region |
Calexico, California |
Building Information |
Genesco Store Number: 809 Address: 244 East Second Street Facade Material: Stucco Style: Pueblo Drawing Number: GC-221 |
Creator |
Wulff's Automatic Sprinkler Company |
Year |
1952 |
Donor |
Genesco Inc. |
Medium |
Blue Line/Paper |
Scale |
1/8 in = 1 ft |
Dimension |
30" x 42 13/16" |
Lexicon category |
8: Communication Artifact |
Related Publications |
Wilkerson, Susan, and Hank Griffith. A Guide to the Building Records of S.H. Kress & Co. 5-10-25 Cent Stores at the National Building Museum. Edited by Joyce Eliiot. Washington, DC: National Building Museum Publication Office, 1993. |
Search Terms |
1952 blue line copy paper plumbing autmatic fire sprinkler system plan basement storage first floor sales area Wulff's Automatic Sprinkler Company Sprinklered Risk Department Pacific Fire Rating Bureau stucco pueblo Mission-influenced stuccoed arcades pressed tin ceiling McCrory Stores sold purchased 244 East Second Street east Second Street Calexico California Store 809 S.H. Kress & Co drawing |
Address |
Additional Craftsmen: Approved by Sprinklered Risk Department, Pacific Fire |