One of the more luxurious apartment buildings in Joplin’s early history were the Olivia Apartments. The building was built in 1906 by Dieter and Wenzel construction firm on plans designed by one of Joplin’s widely used architects, Austin Allen. The man footing the $150,000 bill was Anton E. Bendelari, who had made his fortune in mining. The building was named for his daughter, Olivia. We’ll offer a more detailed history of the Olivia in the future, but for now here’s a look at the building’s past and its present (August 2010). As you may notice, while a survivor of over a 100 years, the Olivia has lost some of her exterior features.
The Olivia sometime after 1906.
The Olivia sometime in the late teens or early 1920s.
The Olivia as of August, 2010, during its restoration.
