S. H. Kress and Co. Building - Montgomery, AL - Art Deco - Art Nouveau on Waymarking.com

This S. H. Kress and Co. building replaced one that burned in 1927 and was razed due to damage. It was completed in time for the store to open in December, 1929. While the main entrance was on Dexter Avenue, the street that leads to the capital, the store reached the street in back, Monroe Street, and had an entrance there. This street is lower than Dexter Avenue, so that door leads to a basement level.

"The S.H. Kress building at 39 Dexter Ave. was built in six months in 1929 after the previous Kress store was destroyed in a fire. Opened in 1898, the original store was the third in the chain of stores that grew from humble beginnings in Memphis, Tenn., in 1896 to more than 200 locations in 30 states by World War II.

"It's phenomenal that they built a building of this character and quality in six months," said architect Mike Watson, who plans to rehabilitate the building.

The company was known for its signature storefronts, making their quality design and construction as much an addition to the culture of main street America as the retail businesses they supported, according to Watson.

Kress closed its store in downtown Montgomery in 1997."

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The future of the building was finalized when a local architect purchased it in 2011 with plans to create a mixed-use space. According to the al.com website,

"The City of Montgomery's efforts to rejuvenate the historic Dexter Avenue area made large strides on Tuesday with the city council's nod to sell the Kress Building to a local architect with big plans for the facility.

The man with the plan is local architect Mike Watson, and he knows a thing or two about rehabilitating downtown properties. Watson, president of 2WR Inc., was the mastermind behind the transformation of a run-down building on Commerce Street into the popular Montgomery watering hole known as the AlleyBar, which he also owns.

Watson purchased the S.H. Kress building, appraised at $435,000 in 2009, for $225,000 from the City of Montgomery this week in order to convert the former five and dime store into a multi-purpose facility that will breathe new life into the heart of downtown Montgomery.

Plans for the building include 30 residential units, bar, restaurant, gym and 200-person music venue."

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Style: Art Deco Structure Type: Commercial/Retail Architect: George E. Mackay Date Built: 1929 Supporting references: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   07/27/2017 Benchmark Blasterz visited it