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Scott Joplin House State Historic Site
DESCRIPTION: The second floor flat where ragtime composer Scott Joplin lived with his wife from 1900-1903 has been restored and furnished with period pieces so visitors can experience the modest life Joplin and his wife, Belle, lived when they moved to St. Louis in 1900. The time Joplin spent in St. Louis is said to be the most productive of his short life. The rest of the building contains exhibits on Joplin's life and the St. Louis neighborhood where the house is located. The house provides a unique glimpse of African-American life in St. Louis at the turn of the last century.
ADDRESS: 2658 Delmar Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63103
LOCATION: Two miles west of the Gateway Arch.
PHONE NUMBERS: Joplin House, 314-340-5790
Missouri Department of Natural Resources, 800-334-6946
WEB SITE: www.mostateparks.com/scottjoplin.htm
GETTING THERE: From downtown, take Market west to Jefferson; turn right (north) on Jefferson, then left (west) on Delmar to 2658 Delmar.
DISABILITY ACCESS: Limited
HOURS: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday-Saturday; noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. The last tour is given one hour before closing.
SUMMER HOURS: Weekday hours are the same, but Sunday hours are noon to 6 p.m.
ADMISSION: $2.50 adults; $1.50 children under 12
WHERE TO GET LUNCH: Best bets for lunch are St. Louis Union Station at 20th and Market streets just east of the Joplin House, or Meriwether's in the Missouri History Museum or The Painted Giraffe Café at the Living World Center at the Saint Louis Zoo, both in Forest Park four and a half miles west. There are also many restaurants in the Central West End Neighborhood including Delmonico's, at Delmar and Euclid, which is famous for soul food.
WHAT'S NEARBY: The Scott Joplin House is 1.5 miles east of St. Louis' Grand Center entertainment district which is home to the Fox Theatre, the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and the St. Louis Black Repertory Theatre.
SIGNIFICANCE: While Scott Joplin is now widely known as the "King of Ragtime," few people understood the true significance of his work during his lifetime. Although Joplin gained some degree of recognition for his "Maple Leaf Rag" which he wrote in 1899 and for some of his later works, his contributions faded with the popularity of ragtime. In fact, when his life came to a tragic early end in 1917, he was so poor he was buried in a pauper's grave in New York where he was living at the time. The grave remained unmarked until 1974. Interest in Joplin was rekindled after some of his most popular pieces were used as theme music in the movie The Sting. And it wasn't until decades after his death that Joplin's opera Treemonisha, which brought him financial ruin at the end of his life, was finally staged.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- The building includes the restored flat where the composer and his wife lived. It was here that Joplin produced several of his better-known compositions, including "The Entertainer."
- A music room with a player piano that allows visitors to hear ragtime as Joplin himself played it.
- Exhibits on Joplin's life.
- Exhibits on St. Louis during the ragtime era.
- The Rosebud Café, a recreated Ragtime performance venue is adjacent to the historic home, and is where Ragtime performances often are held.
ANNUAL SPECIAL EVENTS: A Ragtime Rally Music Concert is held at the site each Memorial Day where musicians perform under a tent and refreshments are served. Visitors are asked to bring a lawn chair or a blanket for seating.
ESPECIALLY FOR KIDS: Children love the player piano on the first floor of the house which churns out some of Joplin's works at the end of the tour.
HISTORY: The house was built as a duplex just after the Civil War. It was converted to a four-family building with three-room apartments by the turn of the century, and a two-story addition was built in the 1890's. Because of Joplin's significance as an innovative composer of ragtime, the house was designated a National Historic Landmark and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. In 1984, the property was donated to the Department of Natural Resources to become a Missouri State Historic Site. It is the only state historic site dedicated entirely to the presentation of African-American contributions to Missouri's cultural history. Not many of the details of Joplin's life there are known and because few of his original possessions remain, the house has been decorated with period furnishings garnered from other sources.
PUBLIC RELATIONS CONTACT: Bill Hall, site administrator, 314-340-5790
Readers should call 1-800-916-0040 to request a free copy of the Official St. Louis Visitor Guide or point, click and explore St. Louis at www.explorestlouis.com
