Several generations ago America saw itself through Norman Rockwell paintings and a small town civic identity. This book captures that spirit with a detailed look into the Kress Five and Dime stores that dotted many Main Streets from 1900 through the 1950s. These stores were meeting places, sidewalk centerpieces, and eventually part of the fiber of many towns. The Kress legacy survives in over 260 buildings in 27 states, pictured here in over 180 photographs and 16 color prints.

• Describes a variety of commercial architectural styles popular in the early 20th century



• Indexed by state/location, architect, and building for easy reference



• Co-published with the National Building Museum

BERNICE L. THOMAS (Decatur, Georgia) is an architectural historian. THE NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM (Washington, D.C.) was created by Congress in 1980 to celebrate American architecture, urban planning, construction, engineering, and design.