Kress Building
Also known as: Wilkins and Leonard; Grayson Shops
Why it's listed
Built in 1925 for $175,000 by the S. & H. Kress Company, this three-story commercial building at 111-121 Federal Plaza West opened as a "5-10-25 cent store" in downtown Youngstown. The facade is faced in terra cotta, with raised piers between the bays that rise above the roofline to form a parapet. Decorative spandrels sit above the second-story windows, and the name "Kress" is molded into the parapet frieze. The upper floors keep their original one-over-one window sash, and the ground floor retains its stone cornice, though the storefronts have been replaced. The building went up during a construction boom on West Federal Street, a period described as Youngstown's golden age of construction. Kress operated here for 35 years, and later retail businesses occupied it. Its ornate facade is among the most decorative of the white terra-cotta fronts that characterized the street, and it compares favorably with the neighboring McCrory Building from the same year.
Significance in brief: It is significant for its role in the growth of downtown Youngstown as a regional retail center in the early 20th century, and for its architecture. Its terra-cotta facade is one of the most highly ornamented among the white glazed terra-cotta fronts on West Federal Street.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 86001926, listed July 23, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 111--121 Federal Plaza W, Youngstown |
|---|---|
| County | Mahoning County |
| Listed | July 23, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001926 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Built by the S. & H. Kress Company; the inventory lists "Phelps" in the contractor/builder field |
| Architectural style | Art Deco: Modernistic |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as fair-good; upper stories intact, storefronts replaced, in commercial use. Many buildings to the west are vacant. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.10081, -80.64529 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 86001926.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.