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| 3322 Demenil Pl, St Louis, MO 63118, USA (Saint Louis, Missouri)
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The Lemp Mansion
St. Louis, Missouri's The Lemp Mansion is recognized as one of the most haunted sites in America. The Mansion was the home of the Lemp family, who were at one time the richest family in Saint Louis. Their fortune was made when John Adam Lemp decided to drop his grocery store business and concentrate on brewing lager beer. He formed the Lemp Brewing Company in 1840 and the family quickly became millionaires. After John Adam Lemp passed away, his son William J. Lemp took over the business and started to expand it. By 1870, the family was one of the richest and most powerful families in St. Louis. It was only solidified in 1897 when William married Hilda Pabst of the Milwaukee Pabst brewing family. William also had a hand in helping Anheuser Busch get going.
The Fall
William's son Frederick Lemp was being groomed to someday inherit the family business. Those plans took a tragic turn in 1901 when Frederick suddenly died of heart failure at the age of 28. William withdrew from society and was said to be devastated at the loss of his son. On February 13, 1904 he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head in a bedroom in the mansion.
William J. Lemp Jr. then inherited the family business and had the reputation of being a thrifty spender. Despite having a wife and a son, he was also believed to have several affairs. The legend has it that one of these affairs produced an illegitimate child with Down's Syndrome. Embarrassed by the child, the boy was made to live in the attic quarters of the mansion with the servants of the house for his entire life. William Jr.'s marriage deteriorated and he filed for divorce, leading to a very messy divorce trial that resulted in custody of William Lemp III being awarded to his ex-wife, Lillian.
The company was now facing stiff competition and profits started to fall. In 1919, Prohibition came along and with plenty of money in the family, William Jr. shut down the brewery without any notice. One year later on March 20, 1920, William Jr.'s sister Elsa allegedly also took her own life with a gunshot to the head, though some argue that her husband at the time may have actually murdered her. The company was sold off and William Jr. also withdrew into his home. On December 29, 1922, in an office located inside the mansion, William Jr. pointed a pistol at his heart and pulled the trigger.
William Jr.'s brother, Charles moved back to the mansion and took care of William Jr.'s illegitimate child. Then in 1943, William Jr.'s legitimate son, William Lemp III, tragically died of a heart attack at 42. The illegitimate son followed him a short time later when he died inside the mansion. He was reportedly buried in family plot, but with only a small marker that said, "Lemp".
Charles, meanwhile, had grown obsessive compulsive and became obsessed with germs. One day, Charles took his Doberman pinscher, his favorite pet, into the basement and shot it. He then climbed back up the stairs to the second story, but shot himself before he reached the floor. Brother Edwin discovered his body on May 10, 1949. The last in the Lemp family, Edwin avoided the tragic endings of the rest of the family and died at the age of 90 in 1970. He was the last of the family.
The Ghosts of the Past
The house was turned into a boarding house after the death of Edwin Lemp, but had a hard time maintaining tenants. It is said that constant knocking and the sounds of footsteps going up and down the hall when no one was there bothered the residents a great deal. It was purchased in 1975 and converted into the restaurant and inn it is today. Reportedly, several workers who were hired to do the renovation left and never came back after reporting noises, having tools vanish and even seeing apparitions.
In the restaurant, workers have reported seeing quick glimpses of someone there only to have them vanish, as well as glasses suddenly flying off the bar. The piano has been heard to play, but when people go to investigate it goes silent and there is no one else in the room. In the attic, people report seeing a boy peering out the window and objects moving from their original locations. Thought to be the spirit of the illegitimate child, he has since been unfortunately dubbed "the Monkey Face Boy."
Guests have reported doors locking and unlocking by themselves and sounds of people running up and down the stairs, or even kicking their doors as well. A woman (dubbed "The Lavender Lady") has also been spotted on occasion and most people seem to believe it is the spirit of William Jr.'s wife, Lillian. Others report her presence by the strong scent of perfume seemingly coming out of nowhere. The mansion has since been the subject of media attention from all over the world and attracts ghost hunters worldwide.
Murder Mystery Dinner, Halloween Party and Ghost Tours
The Lemp Mansion is still a bed and breakfast and now features Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre on Fridays and Saturdays as well. On Mondays, an organization named the St. Louis Spirit Search gives a ghost hunting tour of the mansion. In October, the Mansion hosts an annual Halloween Party that features food, drinks, live bands and a costume contest. For details about these events as well as general information about the Lemp Mansion, please visit the sites below. |
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| Related Sites |
The Lemp Mansion
The official site of The Lemp Mansion, one of the most famous haunted sites in America. |
St. Louis Spirit Search
The official site of St. Louis Spirit Search, who conduct weekly ghost tours of the Lemp Mansion in St. Louis, Missouri. |
Legends of America: The Haunted Lemp Mansion
Legends of America's entry on The Lemp Mansion. The Mansion in St. Louis, Missouri is one of the best known haunted sites in America. |
Prairie Ghosts: The Lemp Mansion
Prairie Ghosts' entry on The Lemp Mansion in St. Louis, Missouri. The mansion is well known for its ghosts and hauntings. |
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| Similar Destinations |
| The Loch Ness Exhibition Centre |
| Vertex Night Club |
| Missouri Governor's Mansion |
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| See Also on TheCabinet.com |
| Dark Destinations in the News (10/31/07) |
| Dark Destinations in the News (10/26/07) |
| Dark Destinations in the News (10/23/07) |
| Dark Destinations in the News (10/10/07) |
| Dark Destinations in the News (10/6/07) |
| Blog: Haunting of the Lemp Mansion (05/10/08) |
| Blog: The Top Haunted Hotels of Dark Destinations (05/18/08) |
| Blog: Dark Destination's Birthday: Top 25 Destinations (08/05/08) |
| Blog: The Lemp Family Curse (12/29/08) |
| Blog: The Dark Destinations Top 50 for Spring 2009 (05/24/09) |
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| Available from Amazon.com |
Ghosts of St. Louis: The Lemp Mansion and Other Eerie Tales |
Spirits of St. Louis: A Ghostly Guide to the Mound City's Unearthly Activities |
Spirits of St. Louis II: The Return of the Gateway City Ghosts |
Ghosts Among Us: True Stories of Spirit Encounters |
Weird Hauntings: True Tales of Ghostly Places (Weird) |
Final Exits: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of How We Die |
Encyclopedia Of Haunted Places: Ghostly Locales From Around The World |
Dixie Spirits: True Tales of the Strange and Supernatural in the South |
Haunted Houses U.S.A. |
St. Louis Seen & Unseen |
Ghost Town: While St. Louis Sleeps |
Haunted St. Louis: History & Hauntings Along the Mississippi |
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