Celebrating National Historic Districts & Places That Matter

Celebrating Our Local Preservation Heroes for Historic Preservation Month in May

Joplin Historic Preservation Commission announces annual awards During Preservation Month in May, The commission gives out three awards — the Murphysburg Award, the Leslie Simpson Award and the Jeff and Carolina Neal Award.

A ceremony was held Thursday in the lobby of the historic Frisco Building in downtown Joplin. William Mountz, chairman of the commission, said those who received awards worked to save buildings as well as memories from Joplin’s past.
Winners were:

The Murphysburg Award – Awarded to groups or organizations who have made significant contributions to historic preservation in Joplin by way of improving our historic neighborhoods through community engagement or rehabilitation of a historic home. RICK BUSSEY, recipient of the 2025 for his work restoring the century-old home at 402 N. Wall Ave.

From the left: Emily Ellis, Joy Ellis and Kay Ellis

The Leslie Simpson Award – Awarded to an individual who has made significant contributions to historic preservation in Joplin by way of preservation administration, education, events, outreach, planning, research, or service.  EMILY AND KAY ELLIS, formerly of Joplin, were honored for contributions of reenacting as Living Historians and Period Dressers.

The Jeff & Carolina Neal Award – Awarded to people who have made significant developments to historic preservation in Joplin by way of developing and restoring/revitalizing buildings and property within Joplin’s commercial corridors. DAVID GLENN received the Jeff and Carolina Neal for his work nearly 40 years ago saving a classic train station that sat at 10th and Main streets.

Then on April 29th the Neal Group were one of eleven “Preserve Missouri” honor award recipients given by the Missouri Alliance for Historic Preservation, also for the Pennington Lofts on the rehabilitation of the 400,000 square foot Pennington Drug Company building began nearly seven years ago. Although the building stood vacant for nearly 40 years, the historic open floor plates and exposed structure provided a clean canvas on which to start the rehabilitation. The first step in the project removed a non-historic 1950s facade which allowed the building to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places and qualify for historic tax credits. The developer immediately added a new roof and then, over the course of four years, rehabilitated the once vacant building into 21 apartment units, called “Pennington Lofts,” and three commercial spaces. The apartment design highlights the building’s historic industrial use, and features unique inverted steel rod trusses and historic steel windows. The project overcame several obstacles, including the global pandemic, increased construction costs, and higher-than-expected interest rates. Within the first three months of the building reopening, it was nearly 85 percent occupied. In addition to state and federal historic tax credits, the project received Chapter 353 property tax abatement from the City of Joplin. This retrofit celebrates sustainable design, art, open-mindedness and is a great example of giving a 100 year old building a better next century.

The Mayflower Apartments

Original Owners: Harry Bennett and Richard Cole, both of Joplin
Opened February 1, 1929 Originally, the name was to be the “Colben” based on Cole and Bennett’s last names but was changed to “Mayflower” once construction started.

In October 1928, investors were sought for the Mayflower through bonds guaranteed by Cole Bennett Investment Company—“two responsible businessmen whose net worth exceeds the amount of the bond issue.” Maturity was to be from 1931 to 1938 with a yield of 5.8% to 6%. To put that timeline in perspective—and simply defined—the beginning of America’s “Great Depression” is often cited as the dramatic crash of the stock market on October 24, 1929 known as “Black Thursday” and October 29, 1929 known as “Black Tuesday.” Economic recovery started around World War II in 1939-1940.

Excerpts from a Joplin Globe August 24, 1928 news article —

The owners announced the many modern details that the 48 unit (with one unit in the basement for a live-in service attendant/janitor), six-story, fire-proof, concrete construction apartment building will have. The apartments range from compact type studios, buffet kitchen bachelor units to larger units with separate bedrooms and numerous closets. Electric refrigeration will be in each apartment and convenient service closets with “immediate incineration of all kitchen and other accumulation.” Each unit to have “sound proofing.” The laundry room will be in the basement.

The property is to be attractively landscaped in addition to the wooded character of the property to the south.

The exterior architecture is faced with tapestry brick and ornamental stone on all four sides. An interesting grouping of windows permits floods of daylight, plus the stairs are daylighted. There is a colonnade of stone columns along 5th Street and a great stone circular arch. Inside, the marble foyer welcomes tenants and guests to the attractively furnished public lounge and electric elevator.

FIRE! FIRE! While the original news release touted the building to be fireproof—through the years—structure fires occurred on July 12, 1958 and December 29, 1958, but the most significant fire was on April 24, 2006. The fire chief said a cigarette was believed to have ignited the couch in the basement laundry room. Around 60 people were evacuated from 40 occupied units. Heat damage to the electrical wiring on all six floors forced the building to close until it could be “rewired.” The First United Methodist Church at 501 West 4th Street set up a temporary shelter for those in need. As of January 2025, a small portion of the Mayflower is re-occupied.

Automobiles and the carport also succumbed to fires in 2013 and 2022.

Bennett and Cole also owned and managed the Koronado Kourts in Joplin, San Antonio, and
Corpus Christi. The Joplin location was famous for being an iconic Route 66 travel court, circa 1936. The present-day Joplin site is now occupied by the Walmart Super Center at 1717 West 7th Street.

BIOGRAPHIES
Harry M. Bennett was born in 1891 and died on April 5, 1979. He is buried at Mount Hope
Cemetery in Webb City. His first wife was Martha, second wife was Jane, and he married his
third wife, Catherine when he was 63 years old. He and Catherine eventually moved from their
prestigious address in Joplin’s Roanoke Addition (616 Islington Place) to San Antonio, Texas.
Mr. Bennett continued to own the Mayflower after Mr. Cole’s premature death in 1944.
According to the 1920 US Census, Mr. Bennett’s occupation was listed as a druggist at a drug
store. Later his occupations were in insurance, real estate, and investments.


Richard Windom “Dick” Cole was born on February 23, 1889 and died of Leukemia on
August 15, 1944 in San Antonio, Texas at the young age of 53. His wife, Mamie Evelyn Windle
Cole was born on February 1, 1896 in Pittsburg, Kansas. She graduated from Joplin High
School in 1914. She died on March 17, 1980 in Corpus Christi, Texas at the age of 84. She was
well traveled. Dick and Mamie eventually moved from their prestigious address in Joplin’s
Roanoke Addition (629 Jaccard Place) to the Mayflower around 1940, and later to San Antonio,
Texas. According to the 1920 US Census, Mr. Cole’s occupation was also that of a druggist—
just like his business partner Harry Bennett.

Austin Allen, The Architect Remembered

Enjoy Austin Allen featured homes in this flip book

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.

In recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ Day….the life of Jere Charlow

In recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we present an overview of the life of Jere Charlow, the original owner of a house in the Murphysburg Historic District at 101 South Sergeant Avenue.  The house is an American Foursquare with bay windows & gabled dormers built around 1908.

While living in Joplin with wife Maude Ellen Gregg Charlow (1876-?), Jere J. Charlow (1880-
1947) was a bookkeeper for Picher Lead Company and a member of the Joplin Elks Club.
When he left Joplin, he become a clerk with the United States Indian Service-Cheyenne
Agency in Dewey, South Dakota. Upon his death, he was a special disbursement agent for
the United States Government Interior Department in Lansing, Michigan. Jere is buried at
Saint Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Lansing, Michigan. Jere maintained his membership in
the B.P.O. Elks Lodge No. 501 of Joplin and was honored at the Elks annual memorial
service after his death.

The Indian Leader newspaper printed an article about Jere on March 10, 1905 stating, “He
has made himself indispensable to his employers, receives a handsome salary and is
trusted and greatly respected by all who know him.”

The 1910 U.S. Census listed Mr. Charlow as “Indian” (Native American) born in Wyandotte, Oklahoma in 1880, however the birthplace of his parents was unknown.  One news article reported that Jere was a member of the Sioux Tribe.  According to the 1910-1911 Wyandot2 census, Jere’s Indian blood was denoted as ¼ degree and his allotment number was 218.  He was an 1898 graduate of the Haskell Institute, located in Lawrence, Kansas.  The school’s current name is Haskell Indian Nations University.  The school was founded in 1884 as a residential boarding school for American Indian children.

Then again on April 27, 1942—at 61 years old—Jere was obligated to register in the “Fourth Registration” of the World War II draft.  Also known as the “Old Man’s Draft,” it was intended to provide the government with a register of manpower between 45-64 years of age who might be eligible for national service on the home front.  Interestingly, his “Registration Card” listed his race as White.

On September 12, 1918—at 38 years old—Mr. Charlow was registered for U. S. military service and was listed as an “Indian.”  His occupation was denoted as a clerk for the United States Indian Service-Cheyenne Agency in Dewey County, South Dakota.

Mr. and Mrs. Charlow had one son, named Joseph Jere Charlow.

While this short biography gives readers an introduction to Jere Charlow, in no way does the story paint the entire picture of his life and the situation in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri regarding Indigenous Americans, The Dawes Act regarding land allotments, boarding schools, tribal affiliations, etc. 

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY According to the Smithsonian-National Museum, American Indians represent less than one percent of the U.S. population, yet names and images of Indians are everywhere: military weapons such as the Tomahawk missile, baking powder cans, town names, advertising, professional sports (Go Chiefs!) and that holiday in November.  Furthermore, the Smithsonian said, “Americans have always been fascinated, conflicted, and profoundly shaped by their relationship to American Indians.”

People in the Joplin Tri-State Area are also familiar with the casinos operated by various Indian Nations.  

In 2021, Indigenous Peoples’ Day became a U.S. Federal holiday to be observed on the second Monday in October, which is the same day as Columbus Day.  Each state has its own observation criteria (or lack thereof) for both holidays.  Missouri does not recognize IPD as a public holiday, but Columbus Day will be recognized as a state holiday on October 14, 2024.