The Scott Joplin House State Historic Site is located at 2658 Delmar Boulevard in

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

. It preserves the Scott Joplin Residence, the home of composer Scott Joplin from 1901 to 1903. The house and its surroundings are maintained by the

Missouri Department of Natural Resources The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR) of the government of the U.S. state of Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied fo ...

as a state

historic site A historic site or heritage site is an official location where pieces of political, military, cultural, or social history have been preserved due to their cultural heritage value. Historic sites are usually protected by law, and many have been rec ...

. The house was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

and designated a U.S.

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

in 1976.

Description and history

The Joplin House is located west of downtown St. Louis, near the southeast corner of Delmar Boulevard and North Beaumont Street. It is a two-story T-shaped brick house, with a gabled roof that has side parapet walls with engaged chimneys. The front facade is six bays wide, and symmetrically arranged, with entrances recessed in arched openings in the center two bays. The ground floor windows are set in round-arch openings, while those on the second floor are set in segmented-arch openings. An ell extends to the rear, and another to the right side. The small parcel on which the house stands has a small grassy area, and is fronted by a granite curb and iron fence. The exact construction date of the house is not known. Based on its style, it is estimated to have been built around 1860, and is known to have been standing in 1874. It is a typical tenant rowhouse built in the city during this period. It is significant as the only known surviving residence associated with African-American composer Scott Joplin (c. 1867–1917). Joplin lived here from 1900 to 1903. While living here, he wrote what is perhaps his best-known piece, " The Entertainer," which earned new recognition for the composer, 56 years after his death, when it was used as theme music in the 1973 film, ''

The Sting ''The Sting'' is a 1973 American caper film set in September 1936, involving a complicated plot by two professional grifters (Paul Newman and Robert Redford) to con a mob boss ( Robert Shaw).'' Variety'' film review; December 12, 1973, pag ...

''. The home Joplin rented was recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1976 and was saved from destruction by the local African American community. In 1983, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources made it the first state historic site in Missouri dedicated to African-American heritage. At first it focused entirely on Joplin and ragtime music, ignoring the urban milieu which shaped his musical compositions. A newer heritage project has expanded coverage to include the more complex social history of black urban migration and the transformation of a multi-ethnic neighborhood to the contemporary community. Part of this diverse narrative now includes coverage of uncomfortable topics of racial oppression, poverty, sanitation, prostitution, and sexually transmitted diseases.

References

External links

Scott Joplin House State Historic Site
Missouri Department of Natural Resources {{DEFAULTSORT:Joplin, Scott, House State Historic Site National Historic Landmarks in Missouri Historic house museums in Missouri Scott Joplin Missouri State Historic Sites History of St. Louis Protected areas established in 1983 Biographical museums in Missouri Museums in St. Louis Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri Houses in St. Louis Music museums in the United States African-American museums in Missouri Tourist attractions in St. Louis National Register of Historic Places in St. Louis 1983 establishments in Missouri Midtown St. Louis African-American historic house museums

Description and history

See also

References

Further reading

External links