Globe: Battlefield group vows to rebuild Ritchey Mansion

Today's Joplin Globe features an article on the Newtonia Battlefield Protection Association's plan to rebuild the tornado-damaged Ritchey Mansion:

“We can fix it. We’ll come back,” said Kay Hively, a member of the Newtonia Battlefields Protection Association and one of the leading advocates for preserving the house and nearby grounds. The tornado caused extensive damage.

“It ripped off all three chimneys, ripped off part of the brick in the front and ripped off the roof in about four major pieces,” said Russ Hively, mansion caretaker. He also is a member of the association, which owns and operates the home.

In addition to the exterior damage, Russ Hively reported minimal damage to the mansion’s “soft contents” such as bedding, carpets, rugs, curtains and blinds.

Kay Hively said the two-story house was built around 1851-52 by Matthew Ritchey and his slaves. The red bricks were made of clay taken from a nearby spring.