S. H. Kress and Co. Building, former five and dime store in St. Petersburg, Florida
The S. H. Kress and Co. Building is a four-story retail structure in Tampa built in 1928 in Renaissance Revival style, featuring a terra-cotta facade with decorative detailing and a bronze marquee above the entrance. Located on North Franklin Street, it was part of a national chain selling small everyday items and necessities at low prices.
The building was designed by architect G. E. Mackey and completed in 1928, representing one of the last major retail structures erected before the Great Depression. After closing in 1981, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
The store served as more than a shopping destination for Tampa residents, functioning as a gathering place where people met and spent time together. Its prominent position on the street made it a local landmark that symbolized the city's prosperity and growth during the early twentieth century.
The building sits in downtown Tampa on North Franklin Street and is easily recognizable from the street by its distinctive terra-cotta facade and bronze marquee. Visitors can observe the architectural details from outside, though the interior is not currently accessible to the public.
The Kress chain operated hundreds of locations across the country, but each store was designed individually to complement its local surroundings, making the Tampa building a custom creation rather than a cookie-cutter franchise. The original interior features such as terrazzo flooring and ornate detailing remain largely intact beneath decades of vacancy.
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