S. H. Kress Building (Albuquerque, New Mexico)

S. H. Kress & Co.

Company type	Department store chain
Industry	Retail
Founded	1896
Defunct	1981
Products	Department store goods

The S. H. Kress Building stands as a significant historic retail structure located in Downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico. Constructed in 1925 for the S. H. Kress & Co. department store chain, it represents a well-maintained example of early twentieth-century commercial architecture. In 1984, it was officially listed on both the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties and the National Register of Historic Places.

History

Around 1909, S. H. Kress & Co. acquired property in Albuquerque with plans for a store, but the building itself was not erected until 1925 due to more favorable market conditions at that time. The architectural plans were finalized in 1924 by T. J. T. Hoffman, with construction commencing in January 1925. The Kress establishment remained operational until the parent company ceased business in 1981. Throughout its history, the building's exterior has undergone only minimal alterations. Although unoccupied for several years, as of 2020 the site is undergoing restoration led by local entrepreneur Victoria Van Dame, who envisions transforming it into “a gallery that draws in creatives across all fields – visual, music, performance arts and the culinary arts.”

Architecture

This structure resembles numerous Kress outlets constructed in smaller towns throughout the 1910s and 1920s. It is a two-level, flat-topped edifice situated on a double lot positioned between the former J. C. Penney building and the McCanna-Hubbell Building. The storefront at street level features cast iron framing, showcasing expansive plate glass display windows beneath a prism glass clerestory. These display windows gently curve inward toward two recessed entrances, each fitted with aluminum-framed double doors topped by a glass transom bearing the company’s name.

The upper facade consists of brown brick accented by horizontal bands of white stone molding located between the first and second stories, near the building’s summit, and along the parapet. Four pairs of wood-framed sash windows are highlighted by ornamental brickwork above a flat horizontal panel that originally displayed signage. Atop the building sits a terra cotta tile "Kress" emblem in white, blue, and gold. Inside, much of the original layout remains intact, featuring spacious retail areas spanning both floors.