Early Twentieth Century Stencils

After Bill & Marilyn Davis purchased the neglected old house at 301 Sergeant and began restoring it, they discovered a pile of crumbling stencils in the basement.  At first it was thought that the stencils might have belonged to the McClenahan family, who lived there (from the 1920s-1950s) and operated a home decorating business. 

The stencils provide a fascinating look into how houses were decorated in the 1920s.  Since period photographs are in black and white, it is intriguing to see the actual colors that were used at the time.  See a sampling of the designs below.  You can also click on the following link to read the February 1, 2008 article about the stencil collection that Wally Kennedy wrote for the Joplin Globe.

After the newspaper story ran, however, a previous owner of the property informed Mr. Kennedy that he had purchased the old stencils in Baxter Springs, Kansas.  Stay tuned for more information as the mystery unfolds!