S. H. Kress & Co. was an iconic American “five-and-dime” retail chain founded by Samuel Henry Kress in 1896. Renowned for their ornate Art Deco architecture, over 200 Kress stores transformed Main Street America. This one is in Durham.
We end the series of images of architecture, from Gothic, Modern, and Art Deco in Durham, North Carolina.
Kress Building Sign
Kress Building from the Side
Along Main Street in Durham is the Kress Building. Built in 1932, this structure is one of the largest and most detailed Art Deco architecture buildings in the state.
Kress Building Art Deco Style
The Hill Building in downtown Durham, North Carolina, is a premier example of 1930s Art Deco architecture. Completed in 1937 for banker John Sprunt Hill, it served as a defining commercial skyscraper for the city and now operates as the 21c Museum Hotel Durham.
Hill Building Art Deco Style
Hill Building Art Deco Architecture
The Durham Hotel, a boutique hotel, has stood since 1968. Its architecture has made it an icon in Durham for decades. that has become a community and cultural hub in downtown.
Modern Architecture
Looking Up at Durham Hotel
The Durham Hotel is anything but typical. Its modern geometric siding and angled tower have kept the mid century style alive in Durham. Built in 1968, this gem of mid-century modern architecture, with its mid-century facade and its distinct gold accents, remains.
Durham Hotel
Apart from the Gothic architecture at Duke University, there is also a display of other forms in Durham.
This high-rise combines retail, office, and a 22-story residential tower, adding a dynamic and lively architectural element to the city’s skyline.
One City Center Durham
Moving away from Gothic architecture at Duke University, we saw Durham City Hall. A complete exterior and interior renovation was needed for Durham City Hall, which opened in 1975. To require minimal maintenance, soften the building’s feel, and give the structure a strong presence, metal wall panels were selected.
Durham City Hall
Duke Chapel Rising Up
Duke Chapel at a Different Angle
Visited Durham, North Carolina, to capture the architecture of Duke University and the surrounding areas.
Our first stop was at Duke Cancer Center. The architecture reflects the collegiate Gothic style of the Duke campus, while ample natural light and arched wood accents, echoing the Carolina pines, harmonize with the surrounding environment.
Duke Cancer Center
Davison Building, Duke Cancer Center
We end the series of images with a tranquil stream and mini-waterfall in the asian section of Sarah P. Duke Gardens at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.
A Mini Waterfall
The Great Blue Heron is a stately heron with subtle blue-gray plumage. It often stands motionless as it scans for prey or wades belly deep with long, deliberate steps. Although they may move slowly, Great Blue Herons can strike like lightning to grab a fish or snap up a gopher.
We saw this bird at Sarah P. Duke Gardens in Durham, North Carolina.
Great Blue Heron
Springtime is the peak growth time for colorful flowering plants in Sarah P. Duke Gardens in Durham, North Carolina
Colors around White Flowers
Colorful Flowers
While the cherry blossoms are no longer in bloom, sights of spring flowers abound throughout Sarah P. Duke Gardens in Durham, North Carolina.
Colors in the Garden
Colors Galore
In April 2025, we visited the Sarah P. Duke Gardens, which consists of approximately 55 acres of landscaped and wooded areas at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. We will post images of flowers from there.
Blend of Colors
Colorful Flowers
Setting sun through the trees creates interesting reflections on a side pond at Lakeshore, Durham, North Carolina
Sunlight Reflections
The sun’s light from the trees at a side pond at Lakeshore, Durham, North Carolina, creates golden, sky and shadow reflections on the water.
Shadows and Light Reflections
Geometric reflections characterized by and decorated with regular lines and shapes at Lakeshore, Durham, North Carolina
Geometric Reflections
A bench to view reflections at Lakeshore, Durham, North Carolina
A Bench to View Reflections
Waves in the pond create abstract, attractive reflections in Lakeshore, Durham, North Carolina
Abstract Reflections
Abstract Vertical Reflections
Miniscule waves in the pond create small unstill reflections in Lakeshore in Durham, North Carolina
Unstill Reflections