Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Black Line Copy of Map of Area Around Kress Store |
Object Name |
Drawing |
Collection |
S.H. Kress & Company Collection |
Description |
Black line copy of map of area around Kress store. See 1989.13.2.7.11a for original drawing and 1989.13.2.7.11c for white line copy. |
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 |
1989.13.2.7.11b |
Credit Line |
Courtesy of National Building Museum, gift of Genesco, Inc. |
Area / Region |
Prichard, Alabama |
Building Information |
Building Style: Modern Façade Material: Brick Genesco Store Number: 25 Address: 305 South Wilson Avenue Drawing Number: None |
Creator |
Unknown |
Year |
1947 |
Donor |
Genesco Inc. |
Medium |
Black Line |
Scale |
None |
Dimension |
7 7/8" x 12 1/2" |
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 |
1947 black line duplicate copy architectural map area block region surrounding stores hand drawn car lot garage city hall power company hardware furniture auto shop clothing cafe theater dresses appliances drugs fair house parking house open shoes loans water works radio church alley Short Street Front Street Chickasaw craft highway Mobile brick metal plate-glass steel linoleum columns floor trim modern Store 25 305 South Wilson Avenue Clark Street Ellis Street south Wilson Avenue Prichard Alabama S.H. Kress & Co drawing |
Address |
Prichard, Alabama |