Kress Stores

S. H. Kress & Co. was a group of "five and dime" department stores in the United States between 1896 to 1981. The business was started in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, by Samuel H. Kress in 1896. Kress Stores were common in many cities and towns of the United States. In 1964, S. H. Kress & Co. was bought by Genesco, Inc. Genesco began closing down the stores in 1980.

The Kress chain was known for the architecture of the stores. A number of former Kress stores, now used for other things, are said to be landmarks. Some of the most well-known Kress locations included New York City's Fifth Avenue, Canal Street, New Orleans, and one at Hollywood's Hollywood Boulevard. The one at Hollywood Boulevard is now preserved at a theme park in Florida.

Kress Stores Media

• The Kress building -- Houston, Texas.jpg

  The Kress building in Houston, Texas, 2020

• Kress building lubbock.jpg

  Kress store building in Lubbock, Texas, showing the characteristic design

• Tampa architectural photos 143.jpg

  A Kress building in Tampa, Florida

• KressBldgElPasoTXColor.jpg

  Kress building in El Paso, Texas

• Kressberkeley.jpg

  Kress inset on the site of the former Kress store in Berkeley, California

• KressFront 800w.jpg

  Newly renovated Fort Worth, Texas, Kress building

• Kress Building in Lubbock.JPG

  Kress Building in Lubbock, Texas, which is now a Goodwill store

• 281 King - Kress Building - Jan 2013.JPG

  Kress building in Charleston, South Carolina, along the main commercial street

• S.H. Kress Store Gay Street Knoxville TN.jpg

  Former S.H. Kress store in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee.

• Kress Building Santa Rosa.jpg

  Kress Building in Santa Rosa CA

Other websites

• Main Street Five-and-Dime: The Architectural Heritage of S. H. Kress & Co. Archived 2006-12-10 at the Wayback Machine
• The Kress Building in Fort Worth, Texas Archived 2006-12-03 at the Wayback Machine
• Remembering the House of Kress Archived 2006-04-26 at the Wayback Machine