| Art Deco |
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| ART DECO WOOLWORTH STORES |
| former Woolworth Wilmington, DE |
former Woolworth Wilmington, DE |
former Woolworth San Bernardino, CA |
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The first Woolworth store was built in 1879. Like Kress, Woolworth was a five-and-dime store. Not until 1932 did they begin selling things over 20 cents. A Woolworth building boom began in 1935.
There are two former Woolworths within walking distance of each other on the same street in Wilmington. The one that now houses the Delaware History Museum was built in 1941 and was at one time the third largest Woolworth in the country. The second Wilmington Woolworth building is now a Happy Harry's Discount Drug Store. There was also a Kresge's department store on the same street in Wilmington. The San Bernardino Woolworth looks like it might have been identical in design to the second one in Wilmington. It was built around 1936. |
| former Woolworth New Cumberland, PA |
former Woolworth Asheville, NC |
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The New Cumberland Woolworth is now vacant. It appears to be from the late 1930s.
The Asheville Woolworth was built in 1938 and restored in 2001. The interior's grand staircase and terrazzo floors were preserved. The building is now used as Woolworth Walk (an art and crafts gallery). For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. |
| former department store? Laredo, TX |
former Woolworth Chicago, IL |
former Woolworth St. Louis, MO |
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This Laredo building appears to have originally been a department store, possibly a Woolworth. It now houses a Payless ShoeSource store. For more, see this website.
This Chicago Woolworth was built in 1938 and is now occupied by a Footlocker shoe store. By the 1920s, there were over sixty Woolworths in Chicago. For more, see this website. The former moderne St. Louis Woolworth is vacant and there are plans to turn it into retail/office space. For more, see this website. |
| former Woolworth Birmingham, AL |
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| The Birmingham Woolworth is now home to the California Fashion Mall. The entrance retains the "W" terrazzo floor. This building is directly across the street from the Kress Building which is from the same era. |
| former Woolworth Cleveland, OH |
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| The Cleveland Woolworth was converted into a House of Blues location in 2004. I'd like to know when this building was constructed or anything else about it. For more, see their website. |
| former Woolworth Bakersfield, CA |
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| The Bakersfield Woolworth was built in 1939. There is reference to there being an Owl Drug Store here "previously" - but I don't know if that was the original tenant or a later tenant. The building now houses the Five and Dime Antique Mall. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. |
| former Woolworth Seattle, WA |
former Woolworth Taunton, MA |
former Woolworth Waltham, MA |
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This former Seattle Woolworth was designed by Harold B. Hillman and built in 1940. At the time, it was largest of the chain's West Coast stores. It closed in 1994 and has been a Ross Dress for Less since then. For more, see this website.
This former Taunton Woolworth was covered with a plywood "slipcover" until recently. For more, see this website. The red panel signs on this former Waltham Woolworth appear to be reworked originals. For more, see this website. |
| former Woolworth Haverhill, MA |
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| This former Haverhill Woolworth opened in 1949 and closed in the early 1970s. The building has remained vacant since then. The interior remains intact and includes the original 50 foot long lunch counter with stools. There has been talk for years of converting the building into condos and shops or demolishing it, but nothing has happened. The scaffolding in these photos was put in place after a chunk of the building fell off in late 2009. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. |
| former Woolworth Tampa, FL |
former J.J. Newberry's Tampa, FL |
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| This former Woolworth and former J.J. Newberry's accompany a former Kress on the same block which is being converted to retail and residential use. The Woolworth is from 1920. It has a terra cotta front and a simpler brick rear. The moderne Newberry's was later a Haddad's Department Store. For more, see this website. |
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The following Woolworth Buildings were built too late to be considered Art Deco but I'll put them here just to keep them all together for now. |
| former Woolworth Oxnard, CA |
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| This former Woolworth was built in 1950. The building was vacant for many years and then restored in 2003. It is now home to the Experi-Mental Cafe, a 1950s memorabilia-filled coffee bar. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. |
| former Woolworth Augusta, GA |
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| This former Woolworth was built in 1939 and closed in 1992. There has been a "Sold" since on the building since at least 2007. However, in 2009, it was announced that the building will soon be developed for condos and retail space. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. |
| former Woolworth Medford, OR |
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| This former Woolworth building was constructed in 1911. It originally housed the Medford Furniture & Hardware Co. Woolworth moved here in the late 1930s. The building has been restored and converted into office and retail space. |
| former Woolworth Chicago, IL |
former Woolworth Gloversville, NY |
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| Water Street Place Elmira, NY |
former Woolworth Chicago, IL |
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The first Chicago Woolworth shown here seems to have the original striped awnings. The building was vacant as of 2006.
The Gloversville Woolworth closed in 1993. It became a Ben Franklin store in 1997 and, as of 2005, is a Great Rentals store. Above the front doors, still readable under the white paint, are panels that read "Visit Woolworth's Luncheonette". For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. Water Street Place is a former Woolworth. The main part of the building is now home to Twin Tier Rentals and CJ's Café. This building has been referred to as the "Bickford Building", a reference to the architects responsible for it, Pierce and Bickford. The Woolworth safe is still located on the second floor and some of the original tilework remains. The second Chicago Woolworth shown here was built in 1949. It is now a CVS drug store. |
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More Woolworths:
Alhambra, CA Washington, DC Miami, FL [gone?] Miami, FL Honolulu, HI: 1, 2 [gone?] Bowling Green, KY [vintage; gone] Lexington, KY Louisville, KY [vintage; gone?] Glens Falls, NY: 1, 2 Cleveland, OH Harrisburg, PA Childress, TX San Antonio, TX [vintage; gone?] Danville, VA Roanoke, VA Mexico |
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