Former Five and Dime Store in Fort Worth TX


S.H. Kress Building, Fort Worth Texas
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Date added: July 12, 2024
Northeast (Main Street) (2006)

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The S. H. Kress & Co. operated one of the nation's most successful five-and-dime operations in the 20th Century. Kress stores were known for their low prices and quality merchandise. The store at this location was a valuable asset to the downtown commercial environment from its opening in 1936 through the mid-1950s. Changing retail trends favoring suburban stores forced its closure in 1960. It is unusual in downtown Fort Worth in that it has two nearly identical facades fronting two major streets. Designed by New York architect Edward F. Sibbert and constructed by the W. H. Bowen Construction Company of El Paso.

The S. H. Kress & Co. was founded by Samuel H. Kress (1863-1955) when he opened a variety store in Memphis, Tennessee in 1896. The business prospered and developed into a chain, first spreading throughout the South and then across the nation. When Kress died in 1955, S. H. Kress & Co. owned 262 stores in 29 states and the territory of Hawaii with an annual gross income of $167.9 million.

The five-and-ten-cent store's retail strategy had its origins with Frank W. Woolworth in 1879. These stores offered a variety of merchandise under one roof. As the name suggests, early prices were five and ten cents. Kress was able to sell merchandise at this price until 1901 when he added items for a quarter. Although prices increased over the years, a red sign reading "5-10 and 25 Cent Store" remained a Kress trademark for years to come. Other signage associated with most stores was the name KRESS written in a golden tone with the upper parts of the letters aligned and the bottom portion compressed into an arched shape.

The earliest stores were operated in rented spaces. By 1909, the company had begun to occupy new buildings which were either built and owned by the company or leased to it. In some cases, local architects were used to design the buildings, but the company's own architects designed most of them. This accounts for the similarity of many stores designed between 1905 and 1930, especially those with a yellow brick exterior.

The first Kress store in Texas opened in Houston in 1900. Fort Worth's first Kress store, listed in the City Directory as S. H. Kress & Co. of New York, began operation in 1905 at 813-15 Houston Street. In 1911, it moved to a larger location at 901 Houston Street, leasing the space. By 1924, a third floor and a basement had been added to the building. A name block in the center of the parapet bore the traditional "KRESS" logo. When the S. H. Kress & Co. first announced in February 1935 that it would build a new store downtown, the plans were for the erection of a 2-story building with a basement at a cost of $200,000. The building, although not on a corner site, would front both Houston and Main streets between 5th and 6th streets. Although downtown Fort Worth had corner buildings that stretched the width of an entire block, it was uncommon for a building at mid-block to do so. In October, the final plans for the building designed by Edward F. Sibbert of New York were approved and bids were sought for its construction. These plans called for an air-conditioned, 4-story building with a basement and sub-basement and no interior columns on the first floor. The latter design element was frequently used in Kress buildings constructed during this era. In December 1935, it was announced that W. H. Bowen Construction Company of El Paso was awarded the contract. Demolition of the buildings on the site began later that month.

In 1925, the Fort Worth Kress store suffered a major fire causing a loss of approximately $400,000 to the contents and $25,000-$100,000 to the building. A second fire in 1931 was mostly confined to the basement. The new building was of a fireproof design. Steel framing, concrete floors and exterior walls of 12" tile sheathed with brick and terra cotta cut down on the risk of serious loss from fire. W. H. Bowen of the Bowen Construction Company told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that the new building "will be modern to the last degree. It will compare favorably with the company's best store on [New York City's] Fifth Avenue. There is nothing like it in Fort Worth. The architecture will be modernistic and Fort Worth people will be proud of the structure." Local materials were to be used when available. After the steel framework was completed, it was estimated that an average of 300 people would be working on the project using day and night shifts. Such a large privately-funded construction project during this time was uncommon in Fort Worth.

The store was built on land leased from Mrs. Jospehine H. Barnes and Mrs. Elizabeth Scott of Fort Worth. The initial lease was to be for a period of 50 years with a base rent and a percentage of the store's gross annual receipts. After one year, the ground rent was to be $16,000 a year plus a percentage of the gross receipts. Tax records indicate that the S. H. Kress & Co. never owned the property on which the building sits.

The new store opened for business on August 14th, 1936 during the Fort Worth Frontier Centennial celebration. Ed Lally and his 12-piece orchestra played for the opening gala. The building featured both beautiful finishes and the latest in commercial practices. A local newspaper reported that only two other Kress stores in the country could rival the modern facilities of the Fort Worth store, one being the Fifth Avenue store previously mentioned and the other in Nashville, Tennessee. The article noted that the Fort Worth store had the latest in lighting, ventilation, and air conditioning. Interior materials included a light striped zebra wood from Africa and marble from Italy. Solid bronze was used for stair railings, doors, and other decorative metalwork. The fact that the Kress chain could construct such a high-quality building in Fort Worth and elsewhere across the nation during the midst of the Great Depression is a testament to the public's demand for high-quality items at low prices and the chain's commitment to building attractive stores.

The basement and first floor of the building were used as retail space. The basement housed dry goods, hosiery, lace and ribbons, artificial flowers, tin ware and some home furnishings. On the first floor, one could find candy, toiletries, jewelry, notions, stationery, hardware, crockery, and glassware. The second floor had a receiving room and offices. Stock was stored on the third floor. The window dressing department was on the fourth floor. Here the window dressers could design displays in mock windows under similar lighting conditions as those found in the storefront windows. The window dressing department was an important aspect of all Kress stores. Because the Fort Worth store fronted two major streets with two separate storefronts this afforded it an additional opportunity to display its wares and attract customers.

Mechanical systems were state-of-the art. Air conditioning units were located on one entire side of the fourth floor as well as on the roof. These units could keep the building at 50 degrees of relative humidity. Summer temperatures on the interior were to be kept at 25 degrees below outside temperatures. Boilers were used to provide heat through the same air conditioning channels.

When the Kress store opened at its new location, Fort Worth had a population of approximately 175,000 compared to a population of 27,000 when the first Kress store opened in 1905. As the largest city in Tarrant County and the county seat, Fort Worth could support an assortment of variety, dry goods and department stores. In 1936, the Kress store was one of three national retail chains that operated in downtown Fort Worth. The others were the F. W. Woolworth Store and J.C. Penney, both nearby on Houston Street. Fort Worth also was home to a large regional Montgomery Ward facility, although it was located about three-quarters of a mile west of downtown. A regionally-owned chain variety store, McCrory's, moved into the Kress store's former location at 901 Houston Street in 1938 after the building received a Moderne-inspired face-lift. Numerous local department/dry goods stores were also located downtown, including Monnig's, Cox's (immediately north of the Kress Building), Stripling's, The Fair and Leonard Brothers.

In June 1955, the Kress store marked its fiftieth anniversary in Fort Worth with an open house, special bargains, window displays and free souvenirs for children. At that time, the store had approximately 65 employees; 3 of whom had a combined 74 years of service. In 1957, a longer lunch counter and self-service counters were added to the first floor. Unfortunately, amenities such as these could not curb the loss of business associated with the suburban flight of the era. As Fort Worth became more suburban and the automobile became the dominant form of transportation, many retailers (such as Montgomery Ward, Stripling's, and Cox's) followed their customers out of the commercial core. The downtown Kress store closed on December 31st, 1960. The stock from this store was redistributed to other Kress stores. Kress officials stated that a new store would be constructed at the Ward Plaza Shopping Center at Berry Street and Riverside Drive in East Fort Worth. However, officials did not announce a construction date for the new store and as time bore out, no other Kress store ever opened in Fort Worth. In 1963, Genesco, Inc. purchased the company and began to close unprofitable stores elsewhere in the nation. The S. H. Kress & Co. ceased business in 1980.

Following the closing of the downtown store the former Kress Building was used for a variety of purposes including a western history museum, a women's clothing store and leased space for Continental National Bank. Currently the basement is used for a comedy club called Hyenas and the first floor and mezzanine level house the Fox and Hound Restaurant. The upper floors are being converted to apartments. Pre-leasing has begun on the apartments with a projected move-in date of November 1st, 2006.

The S. H. Kress & Co. Building is an excellent example of the Classical Moderne style in Fort Worth, Texas. Its smooth exterior surfaces, symmetrical facades, vertical emphasis, especially through the alignment of windows, and decorative metalwork are reflective of this style. Sometimes referred to as Stripped Classicism or PWA Moderne, this style became popular for public buildings in Fort Worth during the 1930s. Its application for commercial properties was not as common. Classical Moderne resources constructed in Fort Worth included the Masonic Temple (1930-32), the U.S. Courthouse (1933), City Hall (1937-38), the Public Library (1938-39, demolished 1990), and Farrington Field (1938-39). All of these, with the exception of the Masonic Hall and the Kress Building, were constructed with the aid of federal funds.

The rise of the Classical Moderne style corresponded with the deepening depression of the 1930s. The understated formality of the style seemed to suit the tastes of a nation struggling to rebuild itself. This likely accounts for its use in public buildings such as those built in Fort Worth. The Classical Moderne style also suited S. H. Kress & Co.'s desire to build attractive buildings that would be considered assets to the local community.

The Classical Moderne style, at least in Fort Worth, closely followed the popularity of the Art Deco style. Art Deco-style buildings are known for their verticality and the use of such stylized decorative motifs as geometric, floral or Native American, Mayan or Egyptian patterns. With the influx of capital from the petroleum industry in the late 1920s, several significant buildings were constructed in Fort Worth during this period. Two Art Deco-style buildings in close proximity to the Kress Building are the 16-story Sinclair Building at 512 Main (1930) and the 21-story Blackstone Hotel at 601 Main (1928-29). Two other significant Art Deco buildings at the southern edge of the Central Business District are the Texas and Pacific Terminal and Warehouse (1930-31). The proliferation of this style in Fort Worth corresponded with the popularity of the style elsewhere in the country.

Because of its fine materials and modern equipment, the Fort Worth store was considered a Class A store, a company designation for the best stores. The Fort Worth Kress Building was designed by Edward F. Sibbert (1899-1982), a New York architect who was employed by the Kress Company from 1929 to 1954. Sibbert had a degree in structural engineering from Pratt Institute (1920) and an architectural degree from Cornell University (1922). Prior to joining Kress, he practiced in Florida and then New York. Sibbert had the longest tenure of any architect working with Kress. He became head of the architectural department and then vice president of the Buildings Division. His early years with the company coincided with the rise of the Art Deco and Moderne styles in the United States. Most of his designs from this period reflected this influence and he is credited with setting a new standard for variety store design during the Great Depression. His works of this period included stores in Birmingham (1936) and Selma, Alabama (1931), Phoenix, Arizona (1933), Berkeley (1932) and Hollywood (1934), California, Miami, Florida (1937), Rockford, Illinois (1938), Great Falls, Montana (1931), New York City, Fifth Avenue location (1935, demolished 1980), Columbia, South Carolina (1935), and Nashville (1936). Other Sibbert-designed Kress stores are in Huntsville, Alabama and Daytona Beach, Florida. Reflecting a regional influence, Sibbert's designs for stores in El Paso, Lubbock (1992), and San Antonio, Texas incorporate Mission Revival or Spanish Eclectic elements.

As noted in contemporary newspaper references and then in more recent scholarship, the Fort Worth Kress Building has been compared favorable with Kress' Fifth Avenue store in New York City. That store was considered the chain's flagship store and was located on what Kress' architectural historian Bernice L. Thomas described as "America's premier Main Street." Opened in October 1935, the Fifth Avenue store was seven stories high and its exterior was sheathed in white marble. Although the New York Store was larger and had a more richly furnished interior, the two buildings shared some similar features such as an emphasized verticality through the use of narrow windows and spandrels and extensive use of bronze on the exterior and interior. Both were equipped with the latest technology. According to architectural historian Judith Singer Cohen, author of Cowtown Moderne (1988), Fort Worth's Kress building "remains an important example of the stylistic links that existed between Fort Worth and the large commercial centers of the Northeast and Midwest during the 1920s and 1930s."

Bernice L. Thomas' America's 5 & 10 Cent Stores: The Kress Legacy (1997) outlines the significance of the evolving Kress designs as illustrative of American commercial architecture during the 20th Century. Early stores started out as simple structures and evolved into more elaborate period revival styles to modern styles, like that used on the Fort Worth store. The use of modern designs for their commercial buildings placed prominently in downtown locations helped spread the acceptance of this style across the county. The buildings embraced changing construction technology from brick weight-bearing walls to steel-frames sheathed with brick and terra cotta, as evidenced by the Fort Worth store. S. H. Kress & Co. was also a pioneer in corporate branding through its use of a "'signature storefront'" with curved glass leading to a recessed entrance and through the prominent display of the name "KRESS" written in a golden tone with the tops of the letters aligned and the bottom of the letters compressed to form an arch. The Fort Worth store retains both of these elements.

Of the extant national chain store buildings in downtown Fort Worth, only the S. H. Kress & Co. Building can still be readily identified with its corporate origins. The former F. W. Woolworth Building at 501 Houston Street was designed by prominent local architect Wiley G. Clarkson and constructed by local contractor James T. Taylor in 1926. The 3-story Classical Revival building is clad in white Texas Limestone and has some Art Deco detailing in low relief at the cornice and string course. But the strong use of groupings of windows reflects a Chicago-style commercial influence making the building's horizontal lines very prominent instead of the vertical emphasis generally associated with the Art Deco style. The use of local architects was a common practice of the Woolworth Company as its design philosophy was to make its buildings blend into the local setting. The building originally had the traditional "F.W. WOOLWORTH 5-10 AND 25 CENT STORE" signs above the storefront windows on the west and north elevations but these and other historic signage have been removed, thus erasing the building's "corporate branding." The former J. C. Penney Co. Store at 406-408 Houston Street is 3-story red brick building constructed in 1929. The facade is a blending of Classical Revival and Chicago School influences. The architect of this building has not been identified and any corporate branding historically associated with the J. C. Penney Co. has been removed. The "KRESS" logo at the store's 1911-1936 location at 901 Houston Street was removed or covered over when the facade was modernized in 1938 for McCrory's.

Building Description

The S. H. Kress & Co. Building is a 4-story Classical Moderne style building located in downtown Fort Worth, Texas. Designed by Edward F. Sibbert of New York and erected by the W. H. Bowen Construction of El Paso in 1936, it is one of the few buildings constructed with private money in the Central Business District during the Great Depression. Located at 605 Houston Street and 604 Main Street, the building is unique in downtown Fort Worth in that it covers the width of an entire block with nearly identical facades on Houston (west elevation) and Main (east elevation) streets, yet it was not constructed on corner lots. The Houston Street facade served as the main entrance to the building although both streets are major north/south streets in the Central Business District. Storefront windows are intact with the Houston Street elevation having two recessed entrances and the Main Street elevation has only one. The cream-colored terra cotta facades are 50' wide and the building is 200' deep. The facades have a vertical emphasis, are symmetrical in composition, and are divided into five bays. The center three bays project slightly forward and each has a row of metal 3/3 hung windows with spandrels placed between the floor levels. The traditional "KRESS" logo in gold lettering at the center of the parapets and at the end corners of the side elevations still identifies the building with its corporate origins. Downtown Fort Worth is laid out in a traditional grid pattern that is set slightly off of due north and oriented toward the Tarrant County Courthouse at the north end of the district on the bluff above the Trinity River. Buildings in the Central Business District date from the late 19th Century through the early 21st Century. Many of the buildings within close proximity to the Kress Building date from the first four decades of the 20th Century and vary in height from 2-stories to 24-stories.

The 4-story S. H. Kress & Co. Building is located at 605 Houston Street/604 Main Street in downtown Fort Worth, Texas. The Classical Moderne style building was designed by Edward F. Sibbert of New York and built by the W. H. Bowen Construction Company of El Paso, Texas. It has nearly identical 50' symmetrical facades (each composed of Two-Part Commercial Blocks) fronting these two major streets and is 200' deep. Constructed in 1936, the building features smooth cream-colored terra cotta walls that are divided into five bays with the center three bays projecting slightly forward. These three bays have narrow 3/3 metal hung windows separated by spandrels. The division of the bays and the alignment of the windows contribute to the building's vertical emphasis. Above the windows on the fourth floor are decorative stylized Mayan caps. The parapets are stepped with the center three bays higher then the outer bays. The parapet hides the flat roof. At the tops of the center bays is the name "KRESS" in the traditional gold lettering as well as near the tops of the corner bays on the side elevations. The end bays have a long striated panel in their centers which also provide a vertical emphasis. The street pattern in downtown Fort Worth follows a traditional grid pattern, although this grid is oriented towards the Tarrant County Courthouse, not due north. The courthouse is sited on the north end of the Central Business District on a bluff above the Trinity River. The buildings in the CBD date from the late 19th century and the newest from the early 21th Century. The S. H. Kress & Co. Building is within close proximity to buildings that date from the first four decades of the 20th Century and vary in height from 2 to 24 stories.

The S.H. Kress & Co. Building was constructed with the finest materials and attention to detail. Bulkheads beneath each facade's storefronts are of black granite with a grayish-black granite used on the walls along the sides of the windows up to the mezzanine level. On these side panels are incised pictographs containing chevrons and a shield." Bronze and

copper trim is used around storefront windows and doors. The Houston Street facade has two double-door recessed entrances that are separated by a storefront window. The Main Street facade features a nearly centered recessed entrance with two sets of double doors. The storefront windows are curved at the corners as they lead to the entrances, a common component of Kress buildings. At the north end of the Main Street facade is a bronze door that accesses the freight elevator. The door is set within a large bronze frame with striated corners and a stylized Mayan motif above the door. Above the storefronts of both facades is a bronzed iron balcony, the railings of which feature an open geometric motif. Incorporated into the flooring of the balcony on the Houston Street facade is a counter-balanced stair mechanism that can be used as a fire escape. In addition, the Houston Street facade has a window opening in the north bay and a door in the south bay at the mezzanine level. The door, which provides access to the fire escape, has a pattern that simulates the 3/3 window pattern.

The cream-colored terra cotta of the facade wraps around the corners to the north and south elevations, creating another bay at these corners. Near the tops of the bay, the name "KRESS" is repeated with the same gold lettering used on the facades. The rest of these elevations are constructed of brick. That brick which is above the neighboring building lines is an off-white glazed brick to match the terra cotta facades. Below the building lines, a common red-orange brick was used. This is readily apparent on the north facade as the neighboring building has been demolished. Historically, there were no window openings on either the north or south elevations. As a part of the conversion of the upper stories into loft apartments, fixed windows have been inserted into the south elevation. The nonoriginal windows are not readily visible from the street.

The flat roof is sheathed with modified bitumen. Air conditioning units and cellular equipment are on the roof but are not visible from the street. A penthouse is along 2/3 of the northeast side of the roof, containing the elevator control room and providing access to other mechanical systems. A stair tower is located at the southwest corner.

Brick sidewalks abut the Main Street facade and a concrete sidewalk abuts the Houston Street facade. An asphalt parking lot is located along the north elevation as the building originally on this site was demolished in the early 1990s. Two-story buildings abut the south elevation; the one on Main Street is a two-part commercial block from the early 1990s; the Houston Street building is of a similar age but received a Moderne inspired face-lift after the construction of the Kress Building. The 6-story former Fort Worth Club Building (1915-16) anchors the south end of the Main Street side of the block and the 2-story W.T. Grant Building (which received a Streamlined Moderne facade in 1939), anchors the south end of the Houston Street side. The streetscape has been somewhat compromised by the placement of deciduous trees along the sidewalks thereby obstructing views of the building.

The first floor has been adapted to restaurant use. The mezzanine level between the first and second floor covers approximately one-third of the floor space at the Main Street side and is used as an upper level dining space. Little historic fabric remains. There are fluted pilasters with the tops flanked by a stylized geometric motif still visible on the south wall and well as a historic "Kress" emblem. The lobby area of the Main Street side provides access to the freight elevator, a passenger elevator and a stair tower at the northeast corner of the building as well as public access to the apartments on the upper floors. The freight elevator retains its historic bronze door and a smaller bronze door provides access to the show window. The north set of bronze doors on the Houston Street facade provide access to the restaurant and the south set of doors provides access to the basement, the majority of which houses a comedy club. An intermediate basement at the east end provides access to the elevators and other mechanical systems.

The second, third and fourth floors are nearly identical. Historically, they were characterized by a nearly clear volume with the exception of supporting steel and concrete columns. Engaged square concrete columns are along the perimeter walls. The ceilings are concrete covered with plaster and the ceiling heights vary from 13' to 15'. Original ceiling fixtures had been removed prior to the recent rehabilitation. The perimeter walls are clay tile sheathed with plaster. Approximately 75% of the historic plaster was in existence at the time of the conversion to apartments. All historic plaster was retained during the rehabilitation. The floors are serviced by the passenger elevator and freight elevator. There are also two stairwells; one along the north wall near the passenger elevator and one at the southwest corner.

As a part of the recent rehabilitation project, scheduled to be completed in the Fall of 2006, the upper floors were converted to apartments with similar layouts on each floor. There are eight apartments on each floor, five of which have loft platforms with the kitchens on the lower level, two are 1-bedroom and one is an efficiency apartment (see Plan). Mechanical systems are exposed and the concrete floors have been stained. Kitchens have granite countertops and birch cabinets. As mentioned previously, fixed windows have been inserted into the south wall.

Alterations include the installation of tinted glass in the storefront windows and the removal of a sign reading "S. H. Kress & CO." between the mezzanine and second floor on each facade. Currently, signs for the Fox and Hound Restaurant occupy this space. The most substantial exterior alteration is the insertion of fixed windows on the south elevation. These windows were inserted as part of a certified rehabilitation under the federal Investment Tax Credit program. They are not readily visible from either Houston or Main Street due to the proximity of adjacent buildings and trees planted along the streets.

The interior has been altered over a period of time with the changes in the function of the building. However, the high ceilings and the openness of the first floor as well as the presence of design details such as the "Kress" emblem and the mezzanine render clues to its historic appearance. The second through the fourth floors are the most altered. But these floors were the least public of all of the spaces. The conversion of the S. H. Kress & Co. Building to loft apartments is an excellent example of an adaptive use, thereby making a formerly underutilized building an asset to downtown Fort Worth and contributing to its revitalization.

S.H. Kress Building, Fort Worth Texas Northeast (Main Street) (2006)
Northeast (Main Street) (2006)

S.H. Kress Building, Fort Worth Texas Southeast (2006)
Southeast (2006)

S.H. Kress Building, Fort Worth Texas Main Street storefront detail (2006)
Main Street storefront detail (2006)

S.H. Kress Building, Fort Worth Texas Southwest (Houston Street) (2006)
Southwest (Houston Street) (2006)

S.H. Kress Building, Fort Worth Texas West elevation (Houston Street) (2006)
West elevation (Houston Street) (2006)

S.H. Kress Building, Fort Worth Texas Houston Street storefront detail (2006)
Houston Street storefront detail (2006)