Joplin Historic District Tour

Years ago, when I first visited Joplin, I remember driving through a neighborhood of sprawling historic homes just blocks from the hustle and bustle of downtown. It reminded me of the Garden District in New Orleans, where elegant homes stand proudly along streets lined with majestic oak trees.

Joplin’s historic residential district, filled with many examples of Queen Anne and Colonial Revival architectural styles, is called Murphysburg.

HISTORY

In 1871, Patrick Murphy purchased 41 acres of land near what is now downtown Joplin. He named this area Murphysburg. In 1873, this area merged with nearby Joplin City to form Joplin.

Today, the Murphysburg Historic District includes the homes on Sergeant Street (from 1st to 7th Streets) and Moffet Street (from 4th to 7th Streets).  The portion of 7th Street that borders the Murphysburg district is on historic Route 66, so this walking tour makes for a nice activity for cruisers on the route.

THE TOUR

Historic Murphysburg Preservation, Inc. created this walking tour so that people could appreciate the craftsmanship of the fine homes in this district. The tour includes 37 structures and takes about an hour to complete. Click here for a brochure and map of the tour.

You can also tour the district in your car, but I’d recommend taking a stroll under the grand oak trees to get a feel for what life was like here over a century ago.

Note: The roots of those grand oak trees have pushed their way through the sidewalks in places, so watch out for uneven surfaces. 

THE HOMES

The following homes stood out to me, either because of a unique architectural feature or an interesting historical fact (the numbers correspond to the listing in the walking tour brochure).

2. Olivia Apartments – 320 South Moffet (c. 1906): Local architect Austin Allen designed this building and named it after his mother Olivia. It cost $150,000 to complete. The 34 apartments in this building represented the height of luxury living in their time. The fifth floor of the building housed a grill room where residents could eat. Click here to see historic photos of the building.

5. Fletcher Snapp House – 501 South Sergeant (c. 1905, Colonial Revival): Architect T.R. Bellas designed this brick home, which features a unique rounded bay window on the upper right side, and a welcoming porch (I love the hanging ferns).

The home’s owner, Fletcher Snapp, enjoyed much distinction in his early life: he was a member of Joplin High School’s first graduating class (1887), he established Citizen’s National Bank in 1901, and also served as Joplin’s mayor.

Unfortunately, Snapp lost his money during the Depression and then divided the home into apartments for income. In 1950, he and a handyman were repairing an oil furnace in the basement when it exploded and killed them both.

6. Albert Winchester House – 507 South Sergeant (c. 1905, Free Classic Queen Anne): I love the happy yellow paint on this impeccably-maintained home with its fish scale shingles. This home was originally built for Dr. Albert Winchester. A graduate of Vanderbilt University, Dr. Winchester is reported to have delivered over 2,500 babies in the area.

8. Elisha Mathews/George N. Spiva House – 611 S. Sergeant (c. 1902, Colonial Revival): The first thing that I noticed when I saw this house was the stunning art glass on the side.

The original owner of the house, Elisha Mathews, was president of the Foust Automatic Concentrating Company. In 1917, George N. Spiva moved into the home (his son, George A. Spiva became an influential supporter of the arts in Joplin).

13. Charles Schifferdecker House – 422 South Sergeant (c. 1890, Romanesque): This home certainly has a solid presence! Built to resemble a castle from the Rhine region of Germany, the home features a tower and several terra cotta friezes, which were crafted by workers brought to Joplin from Germany.

The friezes include hops vines, which is fitting when you learn the story of the home’s owner.

Charles Schifferdecker first came to Joplin from Germany (at age 18) to open a brewery with his partner Edward Zelleken (see #14) in order to quench the thirst of the hard-working miners in the area. The men later abandoned the brewing business and entered the more lucrative mining industry.

Schifferdecker was a generous philanthropist, and his name can be seen around town even today, most notably at Schifferdecker Park.

14. Edward Zelleken House – 406 South Sergeant (c. 1893, Queen Anne): This 4,000 square-foot home has several parapets and decorative details.

It was built by Charles Schifferdecker’s partner, Edward Zelleken. Despite enjoying professional success, Zelleken suffered much personal tragedy. Three of his children died; his 19-year-old daughter Tillie passed away right before her wedding and was buried in her wedding dress.

From 1958-1967, the Spiva Art Center occupied the home. Today it is a private residence.

15. Charles Frye House – 318 South Sergeant (c. 1891, Second Empire): This home is one of my favorites in the district. I love the color scheme and the elaborate spindle work on the porch.

Charles Frye was originally from New York, and came to Joplin to invest in mining. He built this home for $5000. It originally had a square tower with a pyramid-like roof on the third floor, but it has since been removed.

20. Henry Harrison McNeal House – 220 South Moffet (c. 1908, Prairie): This home’s long, simple lines represent the Prairie Box or American Foursquare style. The lion fountain in the front yard is beautiful.

McNeal was involved in the mining industry and was also an avid horseman. He owned a stone riding stable at 1st and Adams Streets. Today that building houses the Joplin Little Theatre.

21. Frank Sharp House – 212 South Moffet (c. 1909, Spanish Mission): This home’s architectural style seems out of place here, almost like it should be in Texas. So why did the owners choose this style?

The original home was actually built in the American Foursquare style like the McNeal House next door (McNeal and Sharp were also business partners). But several years later, Sharp’s wife Nellie wanted to remodel the house so that it looked like a Spanish Mission home, which was an architectural style that was popular during that time. So the pair of towers was added to the third story, and the brick was covered with gray stucco.

In the 1960s, the exterior of the house changed, yet again, when the gray stucco was covered with a pink marble material that was outlined to appear like bricks.

24. Charles Moore House – 102 South Moffet (c. 1908, Colonial Revival): This home has an amazing example of art glass on the third floor, bursting with vibrant colors.

Is it a woman? An angel?

Even after turning the street corner, I couldn’t take my eyes off this house because there were so many interesting details to take in.

33. Austin Allen House – 112 South Sergeant (c. 1906, Arts and Crafts): Like the Sharp house, this home’s architectural style seems unusual for this neighborhood. The Prairie-style home’s lines are simple, but its gardens are impressive.

The man who built this home was Austin Allen, the architect who designed many elegant structures around Joplin, including the Olivia Apartments, St. Peter’s Church, the Newman Building (which now houses City Hall), and several homes in the Murphysburg district.

Allen built this home as a wedding gift for his bride.

35. Oliver S. Picher House – 210 South Sergeant (c. 1904, Colonial Revival): This sprawling white home, with its many columns and porches, is the epitome of elegance. It was designed by the man from down the street: Austin Allen.

The owner, Oliver S. Picher, was the son of the founder of the Picher Lead and Zinc Company (which is known as Eagle-Picher today). Picher’s luxurious taste included crystal chandeliers, stained glass windows, stunning woodwork (the exterior of the home is made from cypress), and three double-sided fireplaces. The cost to build this home was $25,000.

36. William Houk House – 218 South Sergeant (c. 1903, American Foursquare: Classical Elements): I like the simple, tidy lines of this house and the added interest of the oculus window. Surrounded by the low iron gate (original), this house looks charming and welcoming.

The home was built by William Houk, who was an attorney, mine operator, and banker. His wife Edna was a feminist and active in the prohibition movement. She wrote a book called Women Wealth Winners: How Women Can Earn Money.

37. Thomas Lennan House – 219 South Sergeant (c. 1917, Georgian Revival): On the day I toured the district, this home was decorated with several American flags, and was the picture of patriotism. The style of this home is unique in this neighborhood – like something you might see in Virginia.

Shaded by several majestic trees, this stately home on its sprawling lot is the perfect place to end the tour of historic Murphysburg.

WHAT I NOW KNOW…

I have to admit that I became more than a little sidetracked while writing this piece. I would learn an interesting fact about a person or building, and it would lead to another one, and then another one, and pretty soon I had twelve tabs open on my browser and I’d forgotten what I started researching!

What’s great about doing this historical detective work is that now I can connect names with places and know the human stories that reside behind the brick-and-mortar facades.

Whether you are a tourist or a resident, an architecture buff or history lover, or if you just want to take a nice walk through a charming part of Joplin, then be sure to visit the historic Murphysburg district.

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This article was commissioned by the Joplin CVB, however the opinions expressed are purely my own. The purpose of Joplin MO Life is to highlight all the best that our area has to offer, and when an article is written about a restaurant, business, attraction, or event, it is because I have had an enjoyable experience and want to share it with others.

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Living Life to The Fullest!

I love seeking out new experiences and finding places off the beaten path. I started Joplin MO Life in August 2013 as a way to share my discoveries with others in the Joplin community so that they can learn about the resources that exist right in their own backyards.

I have worked in education and event planning, and have always loved to write. I hold a master's degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma and a bachelor's degree in marketing from Tulane University.