subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite map
Sun, Jul 05 2009 

Resources

print this story   Print this story
email this story   E-mail this story
  Post to del.icio.us

Photos


Globe/T. Rob Brown Brian Wisdom, a general laborer with Crews Construction of Neosho, replaces rotten trim around a window and door frame at the Ritchey Mansion in Newtonia.

Published June 08, 2008 09:30 pm - NEWTONIA, Mo. — Local preservationists hope that repairs to the tornado-damaged Ritchey Mansion will be complete by Sept. 1 as thoughts turn to the future of the historic site.
For the historic mansion, a “ballpark” estimate puts the total cost of the damage to the building caused by the May 10 tornado at between $86,000 and $100,000, said Kay Hively, a member of the Newtonia Battlefields Protection Association, and an advocate for preserving the house and grounds.


Battlefield-protection group awaiting final cost of repairs to Ritchey Mansion



By Derek Spellman

dspellman@joplinglobe.com

NEWTONIA, Mo. — Local preservationists hope that repairs to the tornado-damaged Ritchey Mansion will be complete by Sept. 1 as thoughts turn to the future of the historic site.

For the historic mansion, a “ballpark” estimate puts the total cost of the damage to the building caused by the May 10 tornado at between $86,000 and $100,000, said Kay Hively, a member of the Newtonia Battlefields Protection Association, and an advocate for preserving the house and grounds. The association will not have a final number until after the contractor has finished his work, she said.

Much of the damage to the building will be covered by the association’s insurance, although the organization will have to absorb some of the costs of cleaning up the surrounding property and of running an underground power line to the utility pole at the edge of the property, Hively said. Many of the trees that once studded the front and back lawns are gone.

“The place looks bare now,” she said of the grounds. “It looks like a big house on the prairie.”

The Ritchey Mansion served as a headquarters and a field hospital during two Civil War engagements in Newtonia. The Newtonia Battlefields Protection Association owns the mansion and both of the nearby battlefields.

The tornado that swept through Newton County last month tore off all three of the mansion’s chimneys, part of the brick in the front and several large chunks of the roof. It also inflicted other exterior and interior damage.

Hively said repairs to the outside of the building have been completed. The roof, missing brickwork and damaged windows all have been replaced, and crews have begun restoration work on the inside of the house.

That work will include tearing out and replacing damaged parts of the ceiling, repairs to floorboards, and rewiring the house, she said.

The association has not been asking for donations to help defray its repair costs, although that has not stopped some from contributing money to the effort or volunteering their time to pick up glass and other debris littering the lawn, Hively said.

The association is awaiting the final cost of repairs and the amount that insurance will cover to determine how much of the bill it will have to pay and how to do so, Hively said. The group hopes to have the repairs and cleanup on the mansion property finished by Sept. 1, although it has been and will continue to host tours while the work is under way.

Supporters are hoping that the show of local support will help accelerate a study of the battlefield sites that was approved by Congress and endorsed by President Bush several days before the tornado hit.

The legislation aims to determine the best way to preserve the sites. It authorizes the National Park Service to conduct the study to determine if the battlefields could be made a separate unit of the Park Service or brought under the management of Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield near Republic.

Jeffrey Olson, a spokesman for the National Park Service, estimated that the study would cost between $250,000 and $300,000, and take between 18 and 24 months.



print this story    email this story    comment on this story   

Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.


Add a comment on this story





monster
autoconx
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Click here!!

We Blog!
We Pod Cast!

We Twitter!

: Special Offer For New Subscribers : 32 buy 1 get 1 free offers

Click Here!

TV LIsitngs



Find a job! Find a Home! Find a car!
Featured Jobs

OLIVE GARDEN

Now accepting applications Line Cooks, Dishwashers, and Lunch Servers
Interviewing 2-4 p.m. Monday through Fr
...>MORE

REVETER WANTED
EXPERIENCED for brake manufacturing. Please apply in person at 3215 E. 20th, Joplin, MO. ...>MORE

GROWING DENTAL PRACTICE
looking for experienced Dental Assistant. Computer knowledge a must. Resumes: 2710 Picher, Joplin, MO 64804. Deadline by...>MORE

GROWING DENTAL PRACTICE
looking for experienced Dental Assistant. Computer knowledge a must. Resumes: 2710 Picher, Joplin, MO 64804. Deadline by...>MORE

T EACHER-FULL TIME
TEACHER- Full-time Position with benefits working with children 0-6 at Discovery Center child care center. Position requ...>MORE

MEDICAL OFFICE
seeking Insurance Clerk. Coding experience required. Will pay for experience. Benefits. Send resume: Globe Box 94, 117 E...>MORE

TRUCK MECHANIC

needed for Waste Corporation of Joplin. Competitive pay and benefits package. Requires candidate to own hand tools
...>MORE

ACCOUNTANT.

Expanding CPA firm: full time, degree/ computer skills required. Audit/tax experience preferred. Send resume to P
...>MORE

DRIVERS WANTED
DRIVERS WANTED Drivers needed for Waste Corporation of Joplin, a growing company in the Joplin and surrounding areas. ...>MORE

GREAT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
Located on US Business. 60
7 acres with 3 BR house on Hickory Creek
3 buildings with 20 10 x 15 units each
...>MORE

See all ads

Featured Transportation

LEXUS 2002 ES
LEXUS, 2002 ES 300, silver/gray leather, navigation, heated seats, second owner, 94,000 miles, $10,900. 620-856-2804, 41...>MORE

GMC, 2006
2500 4x4, regular cab/bed, 133,000 miles, $9850. (417)214-0022....>MORE

2005 HONDA SHADOW VLX 600
2,000 miles, color white, $3950. (417)673-3860....>MORE

YAMAHA 1999 ROAD STAR
Yamaha, 1999 Road Star 1600 excellent condition, less than 10,000 miles, saddle bags and highway lamps. $3500. Cell phon...>MORE

1979 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
350 automatic, $5000 or trade consider. (620)230-0459...>MORE

LEHMAN TRIKE
LEHMAN TRIKE, 2007, excellent condition, rider has health problems. $20,500. Serious inquires only. (417)529-9554....>MORE

MAZDA, 2000
B3000, 4x2, V6, automatic, high miles, $2150. (417)843-2613....>MORE

1999 CHEVROLET TAHOE
2 door, 2 wheel drive, barn door rear, lowered, custom paint/grill/wheels, asking $5500. (417)781-1932, or cell (417)437...>MORE

FORD 2001 ESCORT
FORD, 2001 Escort, 4 cylinder, automatic, good condition. $1800. (417)437-5682....>MORE

CHEVROLET 1997 TAHOE
CHEVROLET, 1997 TAHOE LT, 4X4, Maroon, air, excellent condition, leather seats, power everything, $2500 or best offer Pl...>MORE

See all ads

Featured Homes

OPEN HOUSE
OPEN HOUSE 7/5/09 1:00-4:00 2281 sq. ft. Updated kitchen 4 br + bonus room 2 living areas Metal roof. Stapleton school ...>MORE

INVESTORS OR START-UP
INVESTORS OR START-UP 1217 Central. $67500 2 bedroom, 1 bath, very nice,room to build more. See more at homesbyowner.co...>MORE

LAKE FRONT MOBILE
Lake Front Mobile Grove, OK 1972 14 X 46 1 Bedroom, 1 bath lake front mobile home weekend getaway. Complete with furn...>MORE

OPEN HOUSE
405 Keeney Street, Carl Junction. Sunday July 12 • 2 p.m.-4 p.m.
This home is owned by Carl Junction R-1 School Di
...>MORE

2-3 BR
Basement, newly remodeled, oak cabinets, nice wood floors, privacy fence. $79,200. 2525 N. Ozark. (417)483-0900....>MORE

OWNER FINANCE
OWNER FINANCE. $650 down, $435 monthly. 201 N. Washington, Joplin, 3 BR, garage, Full price $32,500. 417-359-4113. ...>MORE

HANDYMAN SPECIAL
Handyman Special, only $500 down, owner financing, 11% interest, $345/ month, priced at $23,900. 1120 W. 12th Street (41...>MORE

See all ads

Other Cool Stuff

PATTERN TORCH
Industrial, $500. (417)781-1932....>MORE

MINI SCHNAUZERS
8 weeks AKC house breaking underway, vet checked/healthy. rsfieker@yahoo.com 417-235-3168....>MORE

LOST: 10 YEAR OLD YELLOW LAB

Goldie has on a flea collar, lost 6/28 between Oak Grove and Tipton Ford. PLEASE call 417-438-2828.
...>MORE

MINIATURE DACHSHUND PUPPIES
6 weeks old, $100. (417)781-4099....>MORE

2002 LOWE TAHITI
2002 Lowe Tahiti 22 Deck Boat with 2002 Johnson 150 hp motor, fully loaded and lake ready, $12,500. (620)856-5165 or (41...>MORE

MALTIES PUPS
$150-$300; Yorkies, $300; Morkies-$200. 592-7827, leave message....>MORE

24' BAJA OUTLAW
24’ BAJA Outlaw beautiful closed bow boat, 454 Mag, all options, excellent condition, low hours with 2005 trailer, $16,0...>MORE

ANTIQUE RADIO
ANTIQUE Radio; hanging lamps; china cabinet; carnival glass; Singer featherweight machine; 2 ladies and men diamond ring...>MORE

WANTED; 2006 OR NEWER BUMPER TRAILER
WANTED: 2006 or newer 28-29’ bumper hitch travel trailer with slide, in excellent condition. (417)235-3402....>MORE

YORKIE-CHORKIE
Yorkie-Chorkie, 6 weeks, weight 12 oz. and up. 417-358-4202....>MORE

See all ads


 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2009. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index

 

 

The Joplin Globe Electronic Edition