Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
First Floor Plan |
Object Name |
Drawing |
Collection |
S.H. Kress & Company Collection |
Description |
Blue line copy of first floor plan. Includes counter footage details organized by department. Noted that E.W. Schollmeyer worked on the drawing in some capacity. |
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 |
1989.13.2.13.33 |
Credit Line |
Courtesy of National Building Museum, gift of Genesco, Inc. |
Area / Region |
Helena, Arkansas |
Building Information |
Building Style: Unknown Façade Material: Brick, iron gratings, galvanized iron Genesco Store Number: 365 Address: 409 Cherry Street Drawing Number: L/O-A1 |
Creator |
S.H. Kress & Company |
Other Creators |
E.W. Schollmeyer signed drawing; drawn by P.W.W. |
Year |
1964 |
Donor |
Genesco Inc. |
Medium |
Blue Line |
Scale |
1/8 in = 1 ft |
Dimension |
17 1/8" x 33 7/8" |
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 |
1964 blue line copy paper architectural first floor plan counter footage detail data department variety candy jewelry fashion accessories notions stationary toilet goods toys open soft lines infants girlswear boyswear hoisery lingerie ladies sportswear menswear shoes home furnishings curtains drapes domestics piece lamps pictures hardware paint house wares kitchen gifts pet lawn garden E.W. Shollmeyer brick iron gratings galvanized iron cast-iron stone pressed metal structure commercial area façade classic early design double doors flanking show windows mezzanine strip windows cornice stepped parapet leveled covered porcelain enamel panels structured wall iron interior columns Store 365 409 Cherry Street Cherry Street Helena Arkansas S.H. Kress & Co drawing |
Address |
Helena, Arkansas |