Untitled Document

Our previous accomplishments

Scott Joplin
Ragtime Societies
Ragtime Newsletters
Single Owner Resources
Commercial Sites

Ragtime History Links
Euphony Review Articles

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1990

Work On Scott Joplin House Expected To Begin In Spring

By Louis J. Rose of the Post-Dispatch Staff

Work on restoring the interior of a building where musical great Scott Joplin once lived will begin this spring and should be completed by about September, state officials say.

The two-story flat at 2658 Delmar Boulevard is the only building in existence where the composer is known to have lived or which is linked to the music that later brought him worldwide fame as "King of Ragtime," officials say. Since 1976, the building has been designated a National Historic Landmark.

"We are trying to restore it to the way it was when Joplin lived here," said Booker Hall Rucker, chief of historic sites for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

With restoration completed, the building will include a museum and exhibit area for displays related to black history and culture. Exterior work was completed several years ago.

Joplin, one of six children born to a former slave and a free black woman, lived at the Delmar address from early 1901 to about 1903.

Michael Kennedy of Kennedy Associates/Architects, Inc., said the cost of interior construction and restoration work could run between $350,000 and $800,000. He said the work probably would begin about mid-May.

In ceremonies near the historic site Friday, state officials outlined plans that could lead to restoring an adjacent two-story building for live performances of music made famous by Joplin and other ragtime greats. Under the plan, the building would be named after the former Rosebud Cafe, a mecca for Scott Joplin "King of Ragtime " ragtime musicians. The cafe, near Union Station, was razed years ago.

G. Tracy Mehan III, director of the state Department of Natural Resources, said his agency had asked the Missouri Legislature to allocate $512,000 for the restoration. The building is just west of the former Joplin flat. Mehan said it would have to be taken down and then reassembled brick by brick.

"We believe the re-creation of the Rosebud Cafe would go a step beyond the preservation of the city's ragtime legacy to allow St. Louis residents and visitors to experience the flavor of the era through live performances of the music.