Katherine J. (Foley) Douthat House

May 27, 2022 // by admin

The Katherine Johanna (Foley) Douthat House is only one of two houses in the Murphysburg Historic District built in the Tudor Revival style. It was built in 1932 earning the distinction of “youngest” house in the district.

The property is also unique in that it is named for a woman and not a married couple or in a husband/man’s name. Katherine was widowed in 1921 with three children aged 8, 11 and 14 when her husband, Zahn Lefountain “Toot” Douthat passed away at the young age of 39.

Like most Joplin capitalists and mine operators/owners of their time, the Douthat’s were able to acquire a comfortable income starting in 1916 due to mining operations. They leased their land in the townsite of Douthat, Ottawa County, Oklahoma to the Admiralty Mine. The family moved to Joplin so that the children “…might be given advantages of Joplin schools.” Douthat is now a “ghost town” and part of the Tar Creek Superfund site.

Frank Childress House

May 27, 2022 // by admin

Frank Childress made his fortune in the mining business in the area as the owner of Lead and Zinc Mining Company. His legacy lives on with the Frank Childress Boy Scout Reservation, located near Diamond, Missouri. The grounds were originally a recreation home for the Childress family. Son, Paul Childress donated the land to the Scouts in 1964. The camp included campsites named after the characters of Rudyard Kipling’s “Jungle Book,” a large swimming pool, dining hall, pirate ship, old west fort, old mine, Indian village, and a stocked trout pond for fishing. The reservation is also home to many hiking and biking trails and abounds with native plant and animal life.

Austin Allen House

May 27, 2022 // by admin

Samuel Austin Allen arrived in Joplin in 1890 at the age of 10. His father was J.W. Allen an early pioneer and successful mine operator in the area. Austin graduated from Joplin High School in 1898. He received a degree in architecture at the University of Pennsylvania in 1902 and later went to Paris where he pursued his interest in architecture. Returning to the United States Allen became associated with Bruce Price of New York, one of the foremost architects in the United States. After two years in New York he returned to Joplin to begin practicing his craft in 1905. Allen was an extremely successful architect with offices in Kansas City and in the Frisco Building in Joplin. His professional Joplin resume included such handsome structures as the Newman Building, Saint Peter’s Catholic Church, Olivia Apartments, Joplin High School, United Hebrew Temple, Elks Lodge, and many impressive homes. Mr. Allen was a member of the American Institute of Architects. His obituary in their journal noted, “that his work was marked by a “chaste dignity and scholarly restraint.” Mr. Allen married Belle Taylor and had three children.

The land this house sets on was deeded by Lulie Taylor to her daughter, Belle Taylor Allen for “$1 and Love and Affection.” The house is not first period, meaning two houses were razed and lots combined so Austin could design and build the house you see today. Belle’s parents, John H. and Lulie Taylor were Joplin pioneers and made their fortune in mining and real estate.

It is believed Austin added a second floor sleeping porch to his house at some point. At a later date, the porch was enclosed to create year-round additional living space. This practice was not uncommon in the Murphysburg district.

The living room is paneled in rich dark oak. Some of the features include a large brick fireplace, diamond paned bay windows with built-in window seats, beamed ceilings, and a leaded glass bookcase. After Belle and Austin moved to Kansas City, Missouri, this house was sold to Frank Wallower. The U.S. Census shows Frank, wife Marie, three sons, a private cook, and a private nurse residing here in 1920. The Wallowers moved out in 1943.

The Arts and Craft movement the heavily influenced Austin Allen when he designed his home in 1905, for it clearly reflects the movements principals, beautiful materials and honest craftsmanship. Prominent feature in the home include the rich polished wainscoting. Curved built-in window seats, massive brick fireplace and leaded glass bookcases. The most impressive feature however is the elegant coffered ceiling, reminiscent of the homes of the English Tudor and Jacobean periods.

The Allen Mausoleum is located at Mount Hope Cemetery. Inside Allen’s mausoleum is a resolution from the Kansas City Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Several family members interned in the mausoleum.

The mausoleum architecture features solar disks between the pair of falcon wings at the very top. It represents the sun god, Re and rebirth. Mr. Allen married Belle Taylor and had three children. He died at the early age of thirty-six from typhoid fever.

Interned Austin S. Allen -3-3-1917, Walter Scott Estes -2-12-1926. Linda McOwen Allen -6-6-1926, Whitby J. Allen -5-22-1930 and Austin Allen Jr. – 12-2-1940

The Olivia Hotel and Apartments

May 17, 2022 // by admin

Austin Allen, Architect
Dieter Wetzel, Builder
Listed on the National Register in 2008

The Olivia had a well-deserved reputation as the “handsomest apartment house in the West.” Arthur Bendelari, a civil and mining engineer from Canada, moved to Joplin during the mining boom. He commissioned architect Austin Allen and the contracting firm Dieter and Wenzel to construct this 5-story, $150,000 masterpiece. Construction began February of 1906, and it was open in October that same year.

Arthur Bendelari had a reputation for being a well-liked charmer. He owned one of the town’s first automobiles, and he would race anyone anytime, especially if it involved wagering. He named the Olivia after his mother, Mary Olivia Bendelari.

Decorated in “Pompeian fashion,” the public spaces of the Olivia sparkled with solid Italian marble. The lobby decor impressed all who crossed the threshold where mosaic tiles spelled out “Olivia.” Passing through the elaborate rotunda, visitors entered the reception room, finished in old ivory and lit by skylights and a large leaded glass window with the name “Olivia” expertly crafted in multi-colored glass. A highly polished oak staircase spiraled up from the lobby, connecting all five floors. Electric elevators, both passenger and freight, also provided easy access to all parts of the building. A uniformed attendant provided 24-hour elevator service.

The red brick Olivia comprised 34 one and two-bedroom apartments, for a total of 110 rooms. Some of the larger apartments had almost 2,000 square feet of living space. All of them featured built-ins, fireplaces, marble bathrooms with claw-foot tubs, and every labor-saving device known at the time. Tenants enjoyed bright airy rooms with French doors opening onto private balconies. A roof garden overlooked the city, affording spectacular views in all directions. On clear days, one could even see Webb City. Trolley lines ran down 4th Street, right next to the building, taking residents wherever they wanted to go.

The Olivia’s Current Situation:

After many false starts and a tragic fire in December 2020, this Murphysburg landmark is being
restored by Blue Haven Homes and Bykota REI, along with Neal Group Construction &
Restoration.

Preservation Efforts & Updates:

HMP partnered with stakeholders including the City of Joplin and the current owner to find ways to stabilize the structure.
Downtown Joplin Alliance uses grant funds to conduct a professional assessment on December 11. Fire damage was limited in scope to the roof structure and the first-floor area below the lower roof. The decorative domed ceiling in the lobby has collapsed onto the floor, which has also partially collapsed. However, the exterior masonry and all floor structure areas are in sound condition and the building can still be rehabilitated.
October 29, 2020: The Olivia is named one of Missouri’s “Places in Peril”
December 7, 2020: The Olivia Apartments suffer fire damage (view drone footage of fire damage)
December 17, 2020: Bywater Development’s application for tax credits to help pay for the renovation is denied by the Missouri Housing Development Commission
Bywater Development withdraws from the offer to purchase The Olivia from Scott Tillman with Tillman Redevelopment of Springfield
Fall 2021: New developers are making … progress to bring The Olivia back to her grandeur
Good News Update February 12, 2021: City officials propose investment in Olivia building: Council to consider $250,000 agreement