▁surv iving ▁residence ▁associated ▁with ▁African - American ▁composer ▁Scott ▁J op lin ▁( c . ▁ 1 8 6 7 - 1 9 1 7 ). ▁ ▁J op lin ▁lived ▁here ▁from ▁ 1 9 0 0 ▁to ▁ 1 9 0 3 . ▁ ▁While ▁living ▁here , ▁he ▁wrote ▁what ▁is ▁perhaps ▁his ▁best - known ▁piece , ▁" The ▁Entertain er ," ▁which ▁earned ▁new ▁recognition ▁for ▁the ▁composer , ▁ 5 6 ▁years ▁after ▁his ▁death , ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁used ▁as ▁theme ▁music ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁film , ▁The ▁St ing . ▁ ▁The ▁home ▁J op lin ▁r ented ▁was ▁recognized ▁as ▁a ▁National ▁Historic ▁Land mark ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁and ▁was ▁saved ▁from ▁destruction ▁by ▁the ▁local ▁African ▁American ▁community . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 3 , ▁the ▁Missouri ▁Department ▁of ▁Natural ▁Resources ▁made ▁it ▁the ▁first ▁state ▁historic ▁site ▁in ▁Missouri ▁dedicated ▁to ▁African - American ▁her itage . ▁At ▁first ▁it ▁focused ▁entirely ▁on ▁J op lin ▁and ▁rag time ▁music , ▁ign oring ▁the ▁urban ▁milieu ▁which ▁sh aped ▁his ▁musical ▁compos itions . ▁A ▁newer ▁her itage ▁project ▁has ▁expanded ▁coverage ▁ ▁to ▁include ▁the ▁more ▁complex ▁social ▁history ▁of ▁black ▁urban ▁migration ▁and ▁the ▁transformation ▁of ▁a ▁multi - eth nic ▁neighborhood ▁to ▁the ▁contemporary ▁community . ▁Part ▁of ▁this ▁diverse ▁narr ative ▁now ▁includes ▁coverage ▁of ▁un com fort able ▁topics ▁of ▁ra cial ▁opp ression , ▁pover ty ,