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Collections Highlight: The Samuel H. Kress & Company
December 4, 2025
When Samuel H. Kress launched his first 5-, 10-, and 25-cent stores in 1896, he followed the trail blazed by F. W. Woolworth but carved out his own territory in the bustling commercial centers of the American South. Less than fifteen years later, Kress stores were no longer tucked into rented rooms; the company was commissioning its own architect-designed buildings, creating a recognizable architectural presence on Main Streets nationwide.
From the very first store in Memphis, Tennessee to the iconic Art Deco stores of the 1930s, Kress envisioned these buildings as works of public art that would contribute to the cityscape. The stores achieved retail branding success not merely through standardized signage and graphics, but also through distinctive architecture and efficient design. They could be found in downtowns across the country, from the East Coast through the American South and California. Though never the largest chain, Kress maintained the highest per-store sales of any five-and-dime retailer for more than 20 years, beginning in 1927.
Six architects are responsible for most of the work produced by Kress’s architectural division over forty years.
Seymour Burrell (1910-1916) took over several of Zeitner’s renovation projects. Burrell’s 1913 North Main Street store in Houston, Texas, stands out from his other designs for new stores, most of which were relatively small, plain buildings.
E. J. T. Hoffman (1922-1928) was involved with at least twenty Kress projects; however, his work on larger stores was limited to the Beaux-Arts building in Memphis and the Gothic-inspired store in Seattle, which are considered his most significant contributions to the Kress chain.
George E. Mackay (1929-1930), during his short time with Kress, completed designs for one renovation and five new stores in a variety of revival styles.
John G. Fleming (1929-1931) designed buildings on the West Coast, among them stores in Los Angeles, Riverside, and Eureka, California; Wenatchee, Washington; and Honolulu, Hawaii.
Edward F. Sibbert (1929-1954), the Kress architect with the longest tenure and most distinguished career, led the architectural division from 1932 until 1944 and headed the buildings division until 1954. His designs for many of Kress’s larger stores, including the chain’s flagship store in New York, were crucial in shaping and advancing the company’s architectural image.
After Samuel Kress died in 1955, retail markets expanded outside downtowns and into the suburbs. Kress & Co. lost ground to discount retail giants such as Kmart, and the remaining stores in the chain were purchased by Genesco, Inc., a clothing manufacturer, in 1964. Competition remained fierce throughout the 1970s, and Genesco closed the last Kress stores by early 1981.
In 1989, Gensco, Inc. donated a large collection of records from their former Kress division to the National Building Museum. The gift included 7,000 architectural plans, 7,500 photographs, and 50 linear feet of documents. These records document the design, construction, and operation of more than 200 stores stretching from New York to Hawaii. In particular, the Kress architectural division used photography as a central part of its construction and maintenance efforts. The company hired photographers to record buildings during their construction or after the completion of renovations. Professionals also captured significant store events, such as public previews and openings, and documented damage for insurance claims. Amateur snapshots, often taken by store managers, revealed aspects of the stores’ daily operations.
While Kress buildings contribute to the historic integrity of their downtowns, a high number, particularly those from the company’s heyday in the 1920s and 1930s, have become important individual landmarks. Seventeen stores are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the official list of cultural resources in the United States worthy of preservation. Many more are contributing structures within historic districts or are identified as local or state landmarks.
Of the approximately 400 buildings Kress occupied over time, many have been torn down, including significant ones in Seattle, Phoenix, Charlotte, and New York City. Many others, however, have been adaptively reused. The Salisbury, North Carolina, store was at one point a flower shop and audio store. The Long Beach, California, store houses condominiums. Most commonly, the former dime stores have been renovated for offices, as is the case in Sacramento, California; Pueblo, Colorado; and Provo, Utah.
Since the original 1989 donation, the Museum has added to this collection by accepting donations of architectural drawings, building fragments, signage, photographs, and even an employee handbook from owners of former Kress buildings. Photographs from this collection are fully documented and available to search in the Museum’s online database. Initial cataloging of the architectural drawings was supported by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation and is still ongoing. Research requests from new owners of these historic buildings are handled regularly by Museum staff, often to assist in maintaining, updating, or renovating the buildings. In 1993, the Museum also published a finding aid, A Guide to the Building Records of S.H. Kress & Co. 5-10-25 Cent Stores at the National Building Museum, to assist staff and researchers in navigating this unique and impactful collection.
To conduct research using the Kress collection, please complete a Research Request Form, and a member of the Collections team will reach out to you. You can learn more about other collections held at the Museum by searching the online database here!
