Read about the progress of the restoration project. Learn about the history of the homes, life in the Victorian era, and historic Joplin. And stay up to date on the latest news and events at the project site. Looking for a specific topic? Click on a category to the right under “Quick Links” to view all articles written about a specific type of information.

Death @ 422
As with most older homes a fascinating, connected story involves former inhabitants of a residence. The narrative of how they lived is an important detail, but also of note, is their passing. In many cases, former owners died in their homes. The majestic home at 422 S. Sergeant was, itself, ...
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Masonry Preservation Demonstration with Peter Wollenberg
Saturday, October 6 | 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The Historic Schifferdecker Home | 422 S. Sergeant, Joplin FREE | Please register via the form below. Learn about the intricate process of preserving brick and stone, and get an up-close view of the masonry restoration at the historic Schifferdecker home ...
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JHN Media Visit: Façade Restoration Update
Joplin Historical Neighborhoods (JHN) announced the start of the slate roof reconstruction at a media visit day on Wednesday, September 19, 2018 at the JHN worksite in Joplin. Brad Belk, JHN Preservation Director and Curator, began the day with an update on the restoration of The Schifferdecker Home and Carriage ...
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Guest Blog: Sash Horns and Other Interesting Facts About Windows
Reprinted with permission from Ferguson Times, August 2018. As many of you may know, we are working on a project in Joplin, MO, on the restoration of two (and maybe three) homes in the Murphysburg Historic District of Joplin. The home we are working on now (built in 1890 by ...
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JHN Neighborhood Ice Breaker
Joplin Historical Neighborhoods (JHN) invited the Murphysburg neighborhood to cool off with a sweet treat on Saturday, September 1, at the Schifferdecker home. Residents were encouraged to stop by the house in the afternoon and enjoy a complimentary Kona Ice snow cone and JHN hard hat for the kids. Additionally, ...
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The German Connection
Interestingly enough, two of the more distinguished names in Joplin had a common birthplace. Charles Schifferdecker and Joe Becker both were born in the region of Baden, Germany. Their names have now become part of the local household nomenclature in Schifferdecker Park and Avenue and Joe Becker Stadium. Charles Schifferdecker ...
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Windows and Time
No other aspect of where we live receives as much abuse, neglect, mistreatment, and character assassination as windows. With the exception of below-grade features, windows may top the list of most notable building components that we somehow don't notice we're noticing. In an attempt to work through the ongoing restoration ...
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A Foot in the Door: Higher Education and Women at the Turn of the Century
At the turn of the century there was considerable conversation concerning women’s roles in society. By 1900, over four million women were in the labor force, receiving a paycheck. Although paid considerably less than their male counterparts, women were finding niche occupations like seamstresses, secretaries, nurses, teachers, and domestic servants ...
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Kansas’ Loss is Missouri’s Gain
Robert Smith Bader states in his book, Prohibition in Kansas, In 1880, Kansas became the first state to write into its constitution a prohibition on alcohol, making it one of the very few states with extensive experience with prohibition as a public policy in both the pre-and post-Volstead periods. Since ...
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Celebrating Young Artists
On May 21, 2018, JHN honored the winners of the 2018 Joplin Fair Housing Month Poster Contest at the Edward Zelleken home. The six winners signed reproductions of their posters to be adhered to enhance the construction fence around the Schifferdecker and Zelleken properties during the summer. The contest was ...
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