Ridgway Apartments, Joplin, Missouri (Jasper County).Photo byAbeEzekowitz, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Ridgway Apartments, referred to as North Ridgeway Apartments (402 South Byers Avenue) and South Ridgeway Apartments (404 South Byers Avenue) are historic apartment buildings located in Joplin, Missouri (Jasper County).

These strong three-story buildings were constructed in 1918. On August 8, 2006, the buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The buildings were restored and are still serving as residences.

The architect of these buildings was J.L. Heckinlively of Springfield, Missouri.

Backstory

The Ridgway Apartment buildings are connected with the growth of Joplin's downtown, especially in the early 1900s when Joplin was becoming widely known for its zinc and lead mining.

At the time these buildings were being built, it was during a period when there was an increased demand for middle and upper-middle-class multiple-dwelling rental housing. These buildings are still part of Joplin.

Architect Heckenlively's design for the Ridgway Apartments was sensitive to the already established single-family housing in the area.

Joplin's economic boom in the 1890s brought new businesses to the area and residents. The need for new housing had to include affordable options. Single people who were working in the business district found that apartments built close to where they worked met their needs.

Once lead was discovered in Joplin, it became popular to develop mines in 1870. One of the smelting operations was Moffett and Sergeant Company owned by E.R. Moffet and Jasper B. Sergeant. They also invested in the City of Joplin. When they opened their plant, there were only two houses.

In 1871, Patrick Murphy and partner, W.P. Davis, bought a tract of land and called it Murphysburg. That's now known as West Joplin. By 1873, Murphysburg and the surrounding area were incorporated as Joplin. The Murphysburg Historic District is part of Joplin and includes many buildings including the Ridgway Apartment buildings. This historic district is also part of the National Register as of 2015.

People from all types of economic levels made up the population of Joplin and they all contributed to its economic growth. As it continued to grow, more housing was needed. The wealthy residents who made their money from banking, mining, and real estate lived in the original town of Murphysburg.

The location of the Ridgway Apartments was originally the site of a single-family residence. When the apartment buildings were completed in 1918, it was a new style of efficient residential living. It also made it convenient for business owners to live close to where they were conducting business.

Doctors, nurses, and pharmacists were living in the apartments because Joplin General Hospital was only a block away. The apartment buildings were referred to as North Ridgway and South Ridgway.

Ralph Camp, a well-known real estate investor who worked from Springfield, Missouri, was a co-owner of the Ridgway Apartments. He was also a representative with Farm and Home Savings and Loan. His influence in southwest Missouri land investment went beyond Greene County.

The Ridgway Apartments were named after John Roy Ridgway, the Joplin manager of Farm and Home Savings and Loan. He was also an associate of Ralph Camp.

The Ridgway Apartments is close to being a duplicate of the Camp Manor Apartments in Springfield developed by Ralph Camp and built two years earlier. The Camp Manor Apartments were also listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 6, 2005.

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