Photo Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Exterior view of Kress construction site |
Object Name |
Print, Photographic |
Collection |
S.H. Kress & Company |
Catalog Number |
1989.13.1.4588 |
Description |
Print, photographic; B&W; exterior photo taken at slightly elevated level; picture shows a view looking at a slight angle at a new store under construction from across the street; the high ground floor opening is enclosed in a ribbed terra cotta (or stone) frame; the facade above that features a wide bay flanked by two slightly narrower ones; dividers are made of blocks that emphasize vertical element; outside panel blocks run horizontally; small construction office sits on construction fence that cover sidewalk; photographic inscription in lower right corner "Date 2-1-0 Job No....Photo 21\. H. Kress Building\Greensboro, N.C.\G. A, Miller Co. Inc., Bldrs.\Tampa, Fla."; embossed legend on tab "WM. a. ROBERTS FILM CO.\JEFFERSON STANDARD BUILDING\GREENSBORO\N.C. "; pencilled notation on back "Kress"; time stamp "RECEIVED\FEB 8 1930\S. H. KRESS & CO.\ARCH. DIV" |
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. The S.H. Kress building in Greensboro, North Carolina, is located at 212 South Elm Street. It was built in 1930 and designed by Edward Sibbert. The building is a notable example of Art Deco architecture, featuring elaborate terra cotta details and a terracotta-clad façade. The Greensboro S.H. Kress & Co. store's lunch counter was a key site of the Greensboro sit-ins in 1960. The sit-ins, which began at Woolworth's in Greensboro, expanded to include Kress on February 4, 1960. Students from several local colleges and high schools participated in the protests, which aimed to desegregate lunch counters in Greensboro and other Southern cities |
Currently On Display In |
Visible Vault: Open Collections Storage |
Credit Line |
Courtesy of National Building Museum, gift of Genesco, Inc. |
Place |
Greensboro, North Carolina |
Additional Notes |
Genesco Store Number: 213 Address: 208 South Elm Street Facade Material: Terra cotta, pilaster Style: Art Deco Primary Building Architect: Edward F. Sibbert Contractors: |
Date |
2/1/1930 |
Photographer |
Wm.A. Roberts Film Co. |
Studio |
Wm.A. Roberts Film Co. |
Orig/Copy |
Original |
Medium |
Photographic paper |
Object Category |
8: Communication Artifact |
Donor |
Genesco Inc. |
Notes on Related Objects |
Related Units: 72 photographs Book Description: "A store opened on Elm Street in 1903. In 1929 this ornate and lively Art Deco structure, one of the first designed by Edward F. Sibbert, was built nearby. The store's terracotta-clad and -ornamented front breaks with tradition: there is only one entrance and no horizontal red sign. The upper stories are pierced by vertical rows of dark windows linked by bronze spandrels, some ornamented with abstract foliage and the Kress coat of arms. The facade is tripartite, divided by pilasters surmounted by rams' heads, and the upper corners are embellished with bold, colorful scrolled-leaf designs. The interior is also elaborately decorated. The building, one of the most distinctive built by Kress, still stands." |
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. |
Caption |
Black and white photograph of Kress store front under construction |
Search Terms |
ornate Art Deco Edward F. Sibbert terracotta terra cotta clad ornamented bronze spandrel abstract foliage coat of arms tripartite pilaster ram embellished bold colorful scroll leaf elaborate Store 213 Greensboro North Carolina 208 South Elm Street S.H. Kress & Co photograph |