Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Elevations & Sections of Kress Building |
Object Name |
Drawing, Architectural |
Collection |
S.H. Kress & Company Collection |
Description |
Ink on linen plan for various sections and elevations of Kress Building, sections include longitudinal section, and elevations include fron and rear |
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 |
1989.13.2.54.2 |
Credit Line |
Courtesy of National Building Museum, gift of Genesco, Inc. |
Area / Region |
Parsons, Kansas |
Building Information |
Genesco Store Number: 439 Address: 1715 Main Street Facade Material: 1906 - Brick; 1943 - brick, concrete Style: Unknown Drawing Number: A-2 |
Creator |
Julius H. Zeitmer |
Year |
20th C |
Donor |
Genesco Inc. |
Medium |
Linen |
Scale |
1/4 in = 1 ft |
Dimension |
26" x 40" |
Lexicon category |
8: Communication Objects |
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 |
two-story brick Julius H. Zeitner adaptation lease variety store double entrance George E. MacKay renovation new travertine vestibule expansion Edward F. Sibbert modernization concrete strip pivot sash Store 439 Parsons Kansas 1715 Main Street S.H. Kress & Co drawing |