Last month we covered the magnificent Faurot Opera House, built as part of the Faurot Block on the corner of Main St. and High St. in 1882. For this month’s newsletter, we will talk about Kresge’s, a discount store located on the Faurot Block during Lima’s iconic 1950s-60s era of downtown shopping.
The company was founded in 1899 by Sebastian Spering Kresge (1867-1966), a Pennsylvania-born merchant and businessman. He had started out as a store clerk and traveling salesman before going into business for himself, opening his first “five and dime” discount store in Detroit. By 1949, Kresge had opened 694 stores and saw his company become one of the 20th century’s largest discount retail organizations. [1] The Kresge Company had been doing business in Lima since 1914 but were located a bit further down the block. In 1933, they moved to 201 N. Main St. Their opening day sale advertised enamelware for 20¢ each, a full set of green cups and saucers for 5¢, ladies’ house dresses for 20¢, and jelly orange slices for 5¢ per pound. [2] In 1946, a long-term lease was signed and plans for a bigger, modern, air-conditioned building were soon in motion. The original structure was demolished in early 1953, and a ten-month construction period followed as Lima citizens eagerly awaited their next shopping spree in Lima’s booming downtown. [3]
Doors opened at the brand new Kresge’s on November 27, 1953. The Lima News reported “the structure, [is] one of the largest and most modern in downtown Lima.” It cost $500,000 to build. The frontage expanded about 75’ along Main St. and over 203’ down High St. [4] The first floor was the impressive salesroom, the basement held the merchandising department, and on the second floor were offices. A public lounge was located on a mezzanine balcony toward the rear of the store. [5] In 1953, 195 employees had been hired to serve in the new building. A classic department store layout meant staff were assigned to specific sections to assist customers by pulling merchandise down from shelves or from behind display counters for examination. By the 1950s a typical Kresge store carried over 15,000 items, and Kresge’s goal was to keep prices low and affordable. [6] A shopper could find a variety of household items like radios, small appliances, kitchen supplies, bakeware, fabrics, linens, school supplies, toys, cosmetics, hair and beauty products, and of course fashion for the entire family. [7]
Kresge’s in downtown Lima also featured a meal counter with enough stools for 74 people and advertised that “light luncheons and plate dinners, as well as light refreshments,” would be available. Options included Daddy Del’s Delight: for 60¢ one could enjoy a “tender Swiss steak, baked in natural gravy, creamy whipped potatoes, Harvard beets, coleslaw, hot roll and fresh creamery butter,” or a similar meal called Grandma Hunt’s Special: also costing 60¢, it included “roast turkey, savory dressing, snowflake potatoes with rich giblet gravy, buttered garden peas, crispy coleslaw, hot roll, and fresh creamery butter.” You could also add a drink to your meal, like a 5¢ Coca-Cola or 10¢ lemonade. [8]
In 1965, the store underwent a $100,000 remodeling project dubbed “Operation Facelift” and the Lima News reported on its many improvements. [9] The floors were retiled and repainted, and one main entrance was established at Main St. & High St., with a rear entrance at W. High St. The side entrance once situated along Main St. was replaced by a glass wall for additional window displays. Product displays were expanded, notably in the cosmetics, toiletry, and ladies’ clothing departments. Counters at the luncheonette were mostly replaced by booths, and the snack bar became a delicatessen. An emerging retail innovation during the 1950s-1960s was self-service, and Kresge’s joined this trend after their remodel. [10] Store manager Richard Benoit explained that although Kresge’s now included cashiers and checkout lanes, clerks would be positioned throughout the store to assist customers. Carts would also be available at the front door for customers to fill up themselves. [11] Although the store had remained opened during its remodel, a celebratory sale took place on July 15, 1965, that promised to be quite the affair: the first 2,000 women to enter the building received baby orchids, and a myna bird would be perched there to “talk” to customers. [12]
In the 1960s-70s, the company began opening Kmart stores across the country, and in 1977 officially changed its name to Kmart Corporation. By 1987, the last Kresge’s locations were replaced by Kmart stores. [13] The downtown Lima Kresge’s location appears in the city directory as late as 1982 and seems to have remained open along with the Kmart formerly at 2200 Allentown Rd., but by 1983, only Kmart remained. [14]
On October 3, 1991, The Bluffton News printed an article announcing the opening of a Citizens National Bank branch in downtown Lima. The bank had originally been founded in Bluffton back in 1920. Bank president J. Michael Romey wished to “accommodate the Lima market… we hope that we can act as a catalyst in attracting more downtown retail business.” [15] After spending $1 million remodeling the vacant Kresge building, the bank only used a 5,000 sq. ft. portion of the 18,000 sq. ft. building, so the remainder was rented out as office space to offset the cost of the remodeling project. [16] The Lima branch opened in the summer of 1992 and still serves customers as of this newsletter’s publication.
Today, if you approach the front of the bank, you will see a historical marker signifying this block as the former site of the Faurot Opera House. However, current citizens of Lima may perhaps better remember it as the location of the former Kresge’s discount store. Those belonging to the older generations might recall marveling at enchanting display windows at Christmas time or sitting at the lunch counter for a snack after a day of bargain hunting. In the era before malls, food courts, and online shopping, downtown Lima during the 1950s-60s was the place to be.
[1] https://kresge.org/the-store/
[2] The Lima News. September 8, 1933
[3] Kincaid, Kim “Another Era Ended for Downtown Lima.” Reminisce. The Lima News. September 18, 1996
[4] “Kresge Doors Swing Open Friday.” The Lima News. Wednesday November 25, 1953. Page 24
[5] “New Kresge Store Opens on Nov. 27.” The Lima News. Thursday November 19, 1953. Page 2
[6] https://kresge.org/the-store/
[7] https://www.detroithistorical.org/learn/online-research/encyclopedia-of-detroit/ss-kresge-company
[8] Kincaid, Kim “Another Era Ended for Downtown Lima.” Reminisce. The Lima News. September 18, 1996
[9] “Downtown Store Remodel: Kresge Facelift Complete,” The Lima News. July 14, 1965
[10] https://www.detroithistorical.org/learn/online-research/encyclopedia-of-detroit/ss-kresge-company
[11] “Downtown Store Remodel: Kresge Facelift Complete,” The Lima News. July 14, 1965
[12] “Downtown Store Remodel: Kresge Facelift Complete,” The Lima News. July 14, 1965
[13] https://kresge.org/the-store/
[14] The Lima City Directory. Allen County, OH R. L. Polk & Co., 1983
[15] Rodabaugh, Pat “Citizens National Bank to Build Office in Downtown Lima,” the Bluffton News. Thursday October 3, 1991
[16] Rodabaugh, Pat “Citizens National Bank to Build Office in Downtown Lima,” the Bluffton News. Thursday October 3, 1991
Leave A Comment