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 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.
The Olivia Hotel and Apartments
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
