Location Information
(for the F. W. Woolworth Buillding)
Name:F. W. Woolworth Buillding
Address:207 Yazoo Avenue
City/County:Clarksdale, Coahoma County
Architectural Information
Construction Date:1952
Architectural Styles(s):International, Art Moderne
No. of Stories:2
Registration Information
NR Listing Date:19 Mar 2009
NR District Name:Clarksdale
NR Status:Contributing
Element No.:617
View National Register Nomination Form
Context/Comments
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. The nomination was written by owner Kinchen O’Keefe and was listed on March 19, 2009.