2658A Delmar Blvd.
Saint Louis, Missouri
314-340-5790
Scott Joplin was born near Marshall, Tex., in 1868. He exhibited musical talent at an early age and by age 11 this child prodigy was able to play several musical instruments, and compose and improvise his own music. Joplin mastered both the formal structure of classical music and the free-flowing, improvisational, artistic expression of black musicians from the minstrel tradition. Joplin eventually became the leading exponent of a new, syncopated musical genre and became "The King of Ragtime." Traveling throughout the Midwest, Joplin plied his musical trade in railroad towns and riverfront cities; his audiences were largely patrons of saloons, brothels and skid row restaurants. But, his musical reputation soon transcended black audiences and backroom venues and captured the listening ear of the middle class white community. Sometime during this transient period he settled in Sedalia, Missouri where he completed a degree in music at the George R. Smith College for Negroes. While in Sedalia, his experimentation with intricate musical rhythms led him to create his first well-known published work, the Maple Leaf Rag. In an era before radio the Maple Leaf Rag became a national sensation in the form of sheet music.
Buoyed by the success of Maple Leaf Rag and a growing national reputation, Joplin moved to Saint Louis in the spring of 1900 with his new wife, Belle. They moved into the flat at 2658A Morgan Street, now Delmar Boulevard. While living there between 1900 and 1903, he produced some of his better known compositions: The Entertainer, Elite Syncopations, March Majestic and Ragtime Dance. With royalties coming in from his musical creations, he began to perform less and became more of a teacher and composer. During this productive time in Saint Louis, Joplin also wrote his first major serious composition, an operatic piece called A Guest of Honor, which had as its setting the Missouri governor's mansion in Jefferson City. The original score for this work was lost, and it can no longer be performed. In 1907, Joplin moved to New York to increase national recognition and further his success. Following the financial failure of the most ambitious work of his life - his opera Treemonisha - and weakened by a broken spirit and a fatal disease, he died April 1, 1917, at the age of 49. He was buried in a pauper's grave that remained unmarked until 1974.
Ragtime enjoyed a renaissance in the early 1970s when the motion picture The Sting used “The Entertainer” as its theme music. In 1976, Joplin's Saint Louis home was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, and in 1984, the owner, Jeff-Vander-Lou, Inc., donated the property to the Department of Natural Resources' Division of State Parks. The house now has the distinction of being the only state historic site dedicated wholly to the presentation of African-American contributions to Missouri's cultural history. The visitor center exhibits depict St. Louis and the neighborhood as Joplin knew them, and additional details about his life and work. The operating player piano in the music room allows visitors to listen to piano rolls of the ragtime era, including some that were cut by Joplin himself. Not many authentic details of Joplin's life at 2658A Delmar are known today. It is certain that his financial success was only just beginning when he lived here, so the second floor flat he and Belle occupied has been furnished unpretentiously, in turn-of-the-century style. Gas lights, calcimine paint and second-hand furnishings re-create the modest beginnings of Joplin's St. Louis years.
Complementing the restored Joplin house is the New Rosebud Cafe, a replica of the turn-of-the-century bar and gaming club that once operated in the area. The New Rosebud Cafe is not open on a regular basis but is available for rent for catered parties and gatherings.
A note on accessibility: Parking is on the street with no barrier free spots. The front entrance is up a series of steep limestone steps; however, there is an accessible railed ramp at the Beaumont Street Rosebud Café entrance that leads to the back porch and a door, which is 33 inches wide. By crossing the back deck you reach the interpretive center, which is roomy and has glassed-in exhibits and interpretive wall panels. All of the first floor is accessible with accessible restrooms.
Visiting Scott Joplin House State Historic Site
March through October
Monday through Saturday: 10 am - 4 pm
Sunday: Closed
November through January
Closed
February
Tuesday through Saturday: 10 am - 4 pm
Sunday and Monday: Closed
Tours are offered every hour.
Admission. Group Rates and Tax Exempt Rates available.
Use the official site of the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site to find the answers to the questions about the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site that you may have.
