THE HEART OF THE CITY
S.S. KRESGE CO. LTD.
43-51 King Street East
CURRENT STATUS (1999)
BUILDING INFORMATION
Date Built: 1930; completely renovated with
rear addition 1949; renovated late 1990s
Original Owner: S.S. Kresge Co.of Canada
Original Use: Kresge's "five and
dime" store
Subsequent Uses: Same until 1994; Delta Bingo 1998
Previous Building on Site: Two five-storey
late nineteenth century commercial buildings
ARCHITECTURE
Size: Two-storeys
Design and Style: Art Deco (1930); Art
Moderne (1949 store front remodelling)
Architect, Builder: 1930: architect unknown,
Frid Construction Company; 1949 addition and alterations: G.A. McElroy (architect), W.H.
Yates Construction Co.
Construction Materials: Facades: brick with
artificial stone trim, stainless steel and porcelain enamel panels
Architectural Integrity: Good (entire front
and side facades, as extended and altered in 1949 virtually intact except for removal of
original Kresge sign).
Architectural Features: Low proportions of building; Art Deco treatment of upper facades:
stepped piers rising above the roof parapet and ziggurat motif over windows; original
storefronts with inset entrances and curved windows, porcelain enamel facing; "S.S.
Kresge Co." sign comprising individual stamped metal letters affixed to the fascia
above the entrances removed since closure of store
Sebastian S. Kresge
was the founder of the firm that bears his name. He was born on a small farm in Bald
Mount, Pennsylvania, in 1867. He was always a hard worker. Kresge used to walk seven miles
every day to attend school. He worked on his parents’ farm, taught school, and worked
as a grocery store clerk. Before the age of 25, Kresge had worked in the wholesale produce
business, sold insurance and house furnishings door-to-door, held part-time interest in a
bakery, and worked as a bookkeeper for a hardware store. Before the age of 30 he travelled
the northern-central and New England States as a tinware salesman.
Over this time, Kresge managed to save $8,000 to invest in a business. He knew that there was a need for a store with every day and luxury items at a low price. In 1899, he opened his first store in downtown Hamilton.
On April 4, 1930, Kresge opened its 22nd store in Canada. Located at 43-4 King Street East, it was the largest single floor variety store in Canada, with 32 departments and 1,200 feet of counter space. The store expanded in 1948 to 43-53 King Street East. It expanded onto the area formerly occupied by the Eaton warehouse. McIntosh of Hamilton worked on structural design and W.H. Yate Construction Co. Ltd. of Hamilton built an attachment. The old store measured 66 feet by 134 feet and the new one was 95 feet in width and 284 in length. The new construction was fireproof. Brick and steel were used. The roof deck consisted of precast haycut slabs and magnesite terrazzo was used over the floor. The plastic walls were covered with pastel shades of new washable paper and the mezzanine housed a ladies’ public lounge, a powder room, and toilets.
In 1977, the Kresge Corporation changed its name to Kmart. The Kresge chain had once had 70 stores across Canada, but all resources began to go into Kmart. The King Street East location closed on April 27, 1994 after 64 years and 103 days of business.
See also: www.Kmart.com
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