Kress
Department Store
Bakersfield, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
Located in downtown Bakersfield, the Kress Department Store building looks almost ready to open for another morning of five-and-dime shopping. The tall green KRESS blade sign hangs over the corner, while the carefully preserved storefront gives the building the appearance of a business that simply closed for the evening.
Built in 1931, the three-story structure is one of Bakersfield’s finest surviving examples of Art Deco commercial architecture. It was designed by Edward F. Sibbert, the chief architect for the S.H. Kress & Company chain. Look closely at the exterior and there are decorative oranges and blossoms worked into the building, a little architectural salute to Kern County’s citrus industry.
Kress
Department Store
Bakersfield, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
Kress operated here for 43 years before closing in 1974. The building was eventually restored and reopened for office and commercial use in 1984. Across the street stands the old Woolworth building, leaving two former five-and-dime rivals facing one another long after the shoppers went home.
UPDATE: The Kress building remains preserved and in use at 19th and K streets. Although the original blade sign disappeared, a faithful green neon recreation was installed in 2009, returning the familiar KRESS name to the downtown skyline. 09-26
Woolworth's
Department Store
Bakersfield, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
You can't have an old downtown without a Woolworth's. Well, at least that seemed to be the rule decades ago. Here's the Woolworth's Department Store building in Bakersfield, still wearing the familiar red-and-gold lettering that once welcomed crowds of five-and-dime shoppers.
The store opened around 1950 and sold everything from clothing and housewares to candy and toys. Woolworth's closed here in 1994, but the building escaped demolition and later reopened as the Five & Dime Antique Mall.
The best surprise was inside, where the original luncheonette survived with its long counter, stools, terrazzo flooring, and vintage signs. Burgers, hot dogs, and milkshakes were once again served at what became known as the last operating Woolworth's lunch counter in the country.
UPDATE: The antique mall closed after the building changed owners in 2021. Following a major restoration, the Woolworth's luncheonette reopened in fall 2025 as part of a new downtown dining and entertainment destination. The old storefront lettering remains, making it look like Woolworth's might open for business all over again. 09-26
Kress
Department Store
Kress
Department Store
Woolworth's
Department Store
