Downtown Berkeley in Alameda County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
S.H. Kress Co. Store
Edward f. Sibbert, Architect 1933
City of Berkeley Landmark, designated in 1981
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, January 28, 2012
1. S.H. Kress Co. Store Marker
Inscription.
S.H. Kress Co. Store. Edward f. Sibbert, Architect 1933. Samuel H. Kress began his chain of retail stores around 1900 and soon these “five and dime” variety stores dotted downtowns across America. Kresss own company architects designed stores of high quality and adapted them to fit into the context and scale of each citys main street. The Moderne-style building designed for Berkeley was built to withstand earthquakes. It features light-brown bricks, terracotta ornamentation, and decorative metalwork on the fire escapes. The marquee is original. The Kress name is high above the building entrance and in gold letters above the door. The interior once featured a lunch counter on the main sales floor and a bargain basement. Berkeley Historical Plaque Project 1998
Samuel H. Kress began his chain of retail stores around 1900 and soon these “five and dime” variety stores dotted downtowns across America. Kresss own company architects designed stores of high quality and adapted them to fit into the context and scale of each citys main street. The Moderne-style building designed for Berkeley was built to withstand earthquakes. It features light-brown bricks, terracotta ornamentation, and decorative metalwork on the fire escapes. The marquee is original. The Kress name is high above the building entrance and in gold letters above the door. The interior once featured a lunch counter on the main sales floor and a bargain basement.
Berkeley Historical Plaque Project
1998
Erected 2003 by Berkeley Historical Plaque Project.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Notable Buildings. A significant historical year for this entry is 1900.
Location. 37° 52.28′ N, 122° 16.112′ W. Marker is in Berkeley, California, in Alameda County. It is in Downtown Berkeley. It is at the intersection of Shattuck Avenue and Addison Street, on the right when traveling south on Shattuck Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2036 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley CA 94704, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in California’s San Francisco Bay Area and on the Coast Ranges. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexicos Alta California.
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, January 28, 2012
2. S.H. Kress Co. Store Marker
The marker is on the right side of the entrance.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 8, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 1,177 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on February 8, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.
