The 1910 Brick Fortress of Retail Warfare

Observe the 1910 brick beast. It features large plate glass windows and horizontal metal banding, standard issue for its era. This structure initiated its tour of duty as a S. H. Kress & Co. five and dime store. It provided essential goods to the civilian population long before the modern convenience era took over the AO.

In 1946, the building underwent a strategic overhaul to become the Mehornay Furniture Store. It held the line as a furniture warehouse and maintained its position until the late 1970s. This is a rugged example of commercial architecture that refused to surrender its post to the passage of time.

The unit received a facelift in 2005 and secured a spot on the National Register of Historic Places that same year. The ground floor hosted the Penguin Piano Bar while the second floor took in Roxy starting in 2015. It was a multi-story operation of entertainment and atmosphere.

Both of those tenants retreated during the 2020 pandemic. While those specific businesses folded, the building remains standing as a piece of commercial history. It has survived every reorganization since the early 20th century and refuses to be decommissioned.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons