Celebrating National Historic Districts & Places That Matter

The Peter and Adaline Schnur House

Both Peter Schnur (1845-1906) and Adeline Coffeen Schnur (1846-1922) were known as
Joplin’s pioneer residents, having come to what was known as Murphysburg in 1872. Five
children were born in the family. While marching in a Knights Templar parade in
downtown Joplin, witnessed by 15,000 people, Peter became prostrated by the heat and
dropped out of the line, fell near his residence, and died a few hours after being taken to his
house. A feeling of gloom was cast over the city as the news of his sickness and death
passed rapidly from lip to lip. Adeline also died at the house 16 years later.

In March 1872, Peter established the Mining News, which was the first newspaper
published in the town. It later was known as the Evening News and then the News Herald.
The paper had a great influence on the early life of Joplin. According to the book, History of
Jasper County 1912, Peter was “…its editor and proprietor, was a good writer and in the
narrative of events as they happened from week to week, told the plain truth, avoiding the
sensational and printing only so much of the news of the under-strata of society as was
necessary to correctly chronicle the happenings of the day.” Editorially he advocated a
better local government and always was on the side of public improvement. After selling
his paper and printing establishment, he was appointed postmaster. Peter was also
engaged in mining.

ARCHITECTURE – The two-and-one-half-story Queen Anne house has a limestone
foundation and a gable-on-hip roof with lower cross-gables. Gabled wings project from the
north, east and south elevations. Hipped and shed roof wings project from the rear (west)
elevation. A full-width hip roof porch spans the primary (east) elevation. It has cast stone
piers with tapered square wood columns and a wood picket railing. This elevation has
three bays. Bay 1 has a single window on each story. Bay 2 has a historic wood panel door
with glazing and a wood panel transom on the first story and a single window on the
second story. The recessed Bay 3 has a single window on each story. A historic fixed, four-
light window pierces the gable end.

The Fletcher Snapp House

Fletcher Taylor Snapp was a member of Joplin High School’s first graduating class of 1887, the first president of the Joplin Automobile Club, Joplin’s mayor from 1922-1926, one of the founders of the Citizens State Bank, a cashier of Cunningham Bank and building chairman during the long process of constructing the Scottish Rite Cathedral at 505 S. Byers Avenue.This house has suffered several devastating fires. The first of which claimed Mr. Snapp’s life when he was 79 years old and that of a handyman. The tragedy occurred when the oil furnace exploded while being repaired. His wife Elizabeth Belle (Betty) Mayes Snapp survived. This brown brick clad house has a porte cochére that provides covered access for visitors arriving by motorized transport—or back in the day for the horse and carriage. The portico, consisting of Ionic columns and a triangular pediment, beckons visitors to enter this stately home. The wrap-around covered porch with its turned balustrades serves as the venue for outdoor gatherings. The main entry door has cut glass sidelights with transoms. Furthermore, the beautiful historic wooden door is enhanced with a decorative oval arched transom. Each story has a curved bay window and all windows have limestone lintels.

The William B. McAntire House

William McAntire (1848-1911) was born in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. He came to Joplin in
May 1873 and was considered an early pioneer of Joplin. He was also a pioneer member of the Commercial Club of Joplin, which would many years later become the Chamber of Commerce. William married Charlotte “Lottie” Martin on February 14, 1876. She was born in June 1853 and lived until July 1909. William was an attorney and on several
occasions was elected police judge of the city.

He was in practice by himself and part of the time in partnership with his first cousin, J. W. McAntire. In the early 1890s he gave up active practice of law and entered the real estate business.

In Judge McAntire’s obituary he was described as a “…pioneer of Joplin and no man in the city’s history ever bore a better reputation.  He forgot selfish ends where a question of integrity or honesty was concerned.”  He also fostered many city improvements.  One of Judge McAntire’s honorary pallbearers was Charles Schifferdecker.

His parents W.S. and Elizabeth E (VanMeter) McAntire were natives of Virginia. In 1849 William’s parents went west to Missouri locating at Memphis Scotland County where they engaged in agricultural pursuits for eight years. W. B. attended the schools while there acquiring a liberal education.

Mrs. McIntire was born in Scotland. From the marriage there were two children William Edwin born June 26, 1877 and Arthur Benford born October 1880. Mr. And Mrs. McAntire resided in their beautiful home on the corner of Fifth and Moffet.

ARCHITECTURE – The two-and-one-half-story Queen Anne house has a hip roof with lower cross-gables.  Gabled wings project from the north, east and south elevations.  A side-wrap hip-roof porch projects from the primary (north) and east elevations.  It has limestone piers with round wood columns and a lattice railing.  A pediment defines the entrance.  A stylized Palladian window fills the peak of the gable above the cornice.

The John Johnson House aka Schifferdecker Gardner’s House

The John Johnson House
419 South Jackson Avenue Caretakers House and/or Schifferdecker Gardener Cottage

The house was built by Charles Schifferdecker and is located directly west of the Schifferdecker mansion at 422 South Sergeant Avenue. Research and restoration are. ongoing and it is believed that the structure could have also been an office for the Schifferdecker businesses.

The original residents of this house were John Richard Johnson (1882-1946) and Louisa K. Martens Johnson (1884-1985). Born in Sweden, John came to Girard, Kansas as a young boy and then to Joplin at age 21. He secured a job as a gardener for Charles Schifferdecker and soon oversaw the extensive Schifferdecker property holdings.

He married Mrs. Schifferdecker’s niece in 1903, thus becoming a Schifferdecker heir after Charles and Wilhelmina’s death in 1915. John became a naturalized citizen in 1920.

In John’s obituary, the Joplin Globe newspaper reported that he was orphaned at seven years old when both parents and siblings died. However, the 1910 and 1920 U.S. Census shows John’s father, Andres Johnson residing with John and Louisa at 419 South Jackson Avenue!

This mystery is undergoing further research and may be a story for another day. Several years after Charles, Wilhelmina, and Wilhelmina’s mother died, the Johnson Family moved into the Schifferdecker mansion, but it was short lived. According to Johnson descendants, Louise was uncomfortable living at the house because she claimed to hear the rustling of petticoats on the staircase and believed it to be the ghost of her departed aunt!

Another mystery, although much more salacious associated with this house is the 1916 unsolved murder of Samuel C. Davis of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The mystery intertwines with the adultery trial of Mr. Davis and his mistress, Mrs. Daisy Carter. Daisy was living at 419 S. Jackson when Samuel came to visit. Shots rang out and Samuel lay dead inside the house! Mr. Davis was a wealthy, alcoholic half-breed Creek oilman that was also associated with the grand conspiracy to defraud Native American Indians of their oil lands.

The George Lavery House

608 S. Sergeant Avenue | circa 1899 | Queen Anne | Feature: Hitching Post

George R. Lavery (Born 1856 ~ Died 1928)
Theresa Sorg Lavery (Born 1866 ~ Died 1959)

George Lavery served as the Deputy County Assessor, Deputy Sheriff, and on the Joplin City
Council in the late 1890s. Early on he was associated with the smelting industry. Later he
was with Cofer and Lavery, purveyors of groceries and dry goods. Both George and
Theresa (George’s third wife) were active in Democratic politics.


Theresa established and operated the Sorg Millinery Shop for 17 years and was a charter
member of the Joplin Woman’s Club. Theresa was very active in social and civic clubs in
Joplin and in 1926 was appointed as one of three democratic election judges.

ARCHITECTURE – This two-and-one-half-story house has a limestone foundation. The
house is an example of the Free Classic subtype of the Queen Anne style. Gabled wings with
pent roofs and imbrication project from the east and south elevations. A hipped wing
projects from the rear (west) elevation. A brick chimney rises from the east slope of the
roof. Dentil molding ornaments the roofline; simple pilasters articulated the corners. A hip
porch spans the primary (east) elevation. It has brick columns on each end and a brick pier
with a turned wood post in the center, and a wood picket railing.