 The district was declared a National Historic Landmark District in 1978, for Penney's role in creating one of the first national department store chains.The J. C. Penney Historic District is located on the southern edge of downtown Kemmerer, encompassing about at the junction of JC Penney Drive and South Main Street.Located along the southeast side of South Main Street at this junction are two commercial buildings, of which the one on the right was the original "mother store" of the J. C. Penney department store chain.