Mathew H. Ritchey, the original builder of the house, is credited with the founding of Newtonia, Missouri.

"[3] The house, constructed in 1840 and located on Mill Street in Newtonia, was built using slave labor.

Additionally, reports from the time of the battle suggest that the house was damaged by cannon and small arms fire during the fighting.

[4] In 1864, as Confederate troops commanded by Sterling Price were retreating southward after a failed invasion of Missouri, the Second Battle of Newtonia was fought in the area, with the Ritchey farm again being the site of some of the action.

[5] Female outlaw Belle Starr is claimed to have been briefly captured and held at the Ritchey House by Union soldiers in 1862, the story has Starr escaping from the soldiers and reaching the safety of the town of Carthage.

Sandstone forms the house's foundation and the walls are made of layers of brick.

The door present at the south entrance was originally part of the Newton County Jail.

[4] The north entrance is sheltered by a portico (added in the 1950s), which in turn is supported by four columns and two pilasters.

Two rooms and a central hallway are found on the first story of the northern portion of the main wing of the house.

These rooms have wood floors and the walls are decorated with plaster and wainscot; the hall has wallpaper.

[4] The southern portion of the main wing contains a dining room that has been converted to a kitchen.

The east extension contains a hall and a bathroom, the floor surface is made of linoleum.

[4] The house is privately owned, and changes to the structure, including the addition of a porch, have occurred since the NRHP listing.

[2] The Ritchey House and 25 acres of the battlefields including the Old Newtonia Cemetery were added to Wilson's Creek National Battlefield in 2022 by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, despite National Park Service opposition due to the lack of connection, need for protection, or enhancement of public enjoyment.