S.H. Kress & Co. was the trading name of a national chain of "five and dime" retail department stores that operated from 1896 to 1981. This three-story reinforced steel and masonry building opened in 1931 and was designed by New York City-based architect Edward F. Sibbert, who was the architect for all Kress department stores. The oranges and abstract blossoms above the windows and on the trim refer to Kern Country's citrus industry. The building is among the finest examples of the Art Deco architectural style in Bakersfield. The Kress department store closed in 1974 and reopened as office space in 1984.