| The Woolworth Building in Clarksdale was completed in 1955. It is significant for its association with Commerce as one of the first stores in Clarksdale to place merchandise on open shelves for customers to handle. The “five and dime” stores, represented by Woolworths, were a common feature on the main streets of most towns throughout the country. The building replaced an older store and reflected the International style of architecture popularized by European architects who fled to the United States in the 1930s. The Woolworth Building is also associated with the civil rights movement. After protests and sit-ins at stores around the country challenged whites-only lunch counters, the store closed its 27-seat lunch counter rather than desegregate service. This building was individually listed on the National Register on 19 March 2009, from a nomination prepared by Kinchen O’Keefe, owner of the building. It was later included as a "previously listed" element (element #617) in the Clarksdale Historic District, which was placed on the National Register on 14 September 2009. |