Kress Building
Why it's listed
Built in 1932 at 1109 Broadway, two blocks west of the Lubbock County Courthouse, this two-story reinforced concrete building was constructed for the Kress five-and-dime chain. Its buff brick front is trimmed with marble and terra cotta, including curvilinear molding, shell-motif pediments, stylized boars' heads supporting a metal canopy, and a parapet bearing the Kress name. Inside, a large retail floor has five columns with Art Deco-influenced capitals, plus the original Otis elevator. Edward F. Sibbert, the company's chief architect from 1929 to 1954, designed it, blending Mission Revival ornament with Art Moderne verticality and geometric forms. Kress signed a 50-year lease on the two lots in 1931, during a period when Lubbock's population had grown 408 percent in a decade, driven by cotton and rail expansion. The company ran the store until 1975, and the building continues in retail use. It retains a high degree of architectural integrity and is regarded as a well preserved reminder of Lubbock's early twentieth-century development.
Significance in brief: It is nominated under Criterion C as a well-crafted local example of commercial architecture with decorative terra cotta features. It shows architect Edward F. Sibbert's shift from popular revival styles toward modernistic design, mixing Mission Revival ornament with Art Moderne and Art Deco touches. It was also a bold commercial investment during the Great Depression.
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 92001305, listed October 2, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1109 Broadway, Lubbock |
|---|---|
| County | Lubbock County |
| Listed | October 2, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92001305 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1932 |
| Architect / builder | Sibbert, Edward F. |
| Architectural style | Mission Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | In excellent physical condition and still used for retail; the Kress Company operated the store until 1975, after which Goodwill Industries bought it. The upper level and basement are no longer in use. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 33.58477, -101.83629 (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 92001305.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14710916
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.