| The Lemp Mansion 3322 DeMenil Place St. Louis, Missouri 63118 |
| When I was little my dad always told stories about the places around where he grew up in St. Louis, this place was one of them. It has evertying you could want in a ghost story; love, tragedy, and money. Along with being a St. Louis icon it's a favourite setting for local ghost stories and urban legends. Like many legends the basis of these stories of hauntings is found in real local history. This is why this article is found through two places on my site, both my History page and the Folklore page. In 1838 John Adam Lemp arrived in St. Louis along with many other German immigrants. In the city he set up a store and became a grocer. Mr. Lemp had a huge advantage over his competition, his lager beer. He had learned about beermaking in Germany and discovered the natural caves St. Louis sat upon were a wonderful resource for this art. After noticing his brew's popularity he began to realise that lager beer had a future in America. In 1840 he built a small brewery and began the St. Louis brewing industry, though today the largest brewery in the city is that of Bush. However, Lemp's brewery was fabulously successful and by the time he died he was a millionaire. John Adam's son William J. Lemp took over his father's position as head of the brewery and built it into an industry giant. A new plant was built in 1864 at Cherokee Street and Carondolet Avenue. Eventually the new brewery grew to cover five city blocks. By 1870 Lemp was the largest brewery in St. Louis and the Lemp family were symbols of the city's wealth and power. Lemp beer controlled the St. Louis market until Prohibition began. With the marriage of William Lemp's daughter, Hilda and Gustav Pabst of the Milwaukee brewing family, the two of the largest industry competerters were joined. The fall of the Lemp family began in 1901 with the death of William's favourite son Frederick Lemp. Fredrick was the heir to the brewery and forune who died under mysterious circumstances. Three years following his death William J. Lemp committed suicide in a bedroom of the family mansion. After William's death William J. Lemp Jr succeeded as president of the brewery. However, the decline of their fortune continued all the way until 1919 with the onset of Prohibition when the brewery was permenantly closed. Elsa, William Jr's sister was the wealthiest heiressin St. Louis and committed suicide in 1920. In June of 1922 the Lemp brewery was sold to International Shoe Co. and the majority of the company's assets were liquidated. Despite this, the Lemp family continued living in the family mansion. After the sale of the brewery William J. Lemp Jr. shot himself in the mansion. In this very same building in 1943 his son William Lemp III died of a heart attack aged forty-two. William Jr's brother Charles remained in the home after the suicide as a bitter recluse until he committed sucicde. Charles' body was found by his brother Edwin. Unlike the rest of the family, Edwin lived a long life living until 1970 when he died of natural causes at ninety. The Lemp mansion is reputed to be haunted. As you can see from the morbid history of the beautiful building there is a history of tragedy, which could lead to restless spirits. One of the ghost stories involves one of the wives of the Lemp's who died in the first half of the 20th century. It's said that she had an affair and both she and her lover were killed. Beacause of this tragedy the appiration of the "lavender lady" (as she is seen in lavender and it was her favourite colour) is well known. Despite the ghost stories today the Lemp mansion is a thriving bed and breakfast and historical landmark of St. Louis, Missouri. There is also a resturant located in the mansion. On the weekends the resturant hosts a murder mystery dinner theather and is a popular spot for both indoor and outdoor weddings and receptions. Around Halloween there is a haunted house set up in the mansion and caverns connected to it (Or was until they were sealed off along with the beatiful ballroom, swimming pool, and theather within them). They also host and annual Halloween party which includes dinner, a room for the night, and other festivities. |