S. H. Kress and Co. Building, Art Deco commercial building in Tampa, Florida.
The S. H. Kress and Co. Building is a four-story commercial structure with masonry walls and extensive terra-cotta decoration covering its facades in Art Deco style. Interior terrazzo floors and detailed ornamental metalwork throughout reveal the building's original craftsmanship and attention to design.
Built in 1928 as a department store for the S. H. Kress & Co. chain, it stands as one of Tampa's final major commercial buildings before the Great Depression. Its opening came during a period of prosperity that would soon shift with major economic changes affecting the entire city.
The building sits in an area where civil rights activists protested segregation policies in the 1960s, and this history continues to shape how people understand the place today.
The building is not open to the public and has been vacant since 1981. Located on Franklin Street in downtown Tampa, the site sits near public transit and parking options that serve the surrounding area.
The building retains its original bronze marquee and features a secondary entrance facing Florida Avenue, showing early planning for how customers would move through the space. This two-entrance design was common for department stores seeking to capture foot traffic from multiple streets.
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