S. H. Kress Co. Store
CITY OF BERKELEY LANDMARK
designated in 1981
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. Kress’s
own company architects designed stores of high quality
and adapted them to fit into the context and scale of
each city’s main street. The Moderne-style building
designed for Berkeley was built to withstand
earthquakes. It features light-brown bricks, terra-
cotta 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
2003