Lemp Mansion: One of America’s Ten Most Haunted Houses
Lemp Mansion. His story has it all. From wealthy to suicidal, beer magnates to eccentric, this stone mansion was built in 1868 and reigned supreme over the social elite of St. Louis, Missouri for nearly a decade. Frequent visitors included the great Vincent Price, visiting dignitaries, and the upper class of St. Louis. Built on top of a cavern of twisted underground cave systems, its secret passageways, dark corridors, and history of suicides house paranormal occurrences that occur daily at the renowned Bed and Breakfast.
During my initial investigation of Lemp Mansion I was struck by the heavy atmosphere inside. A pristine white façade does not prepare you for the dark oak paneling, imposing staircase and stained glass windows within. It feels like you’re leaving the 21st century at your doorstep as you enter a world that was created by the incredibly wealthy denizens of the Golden Age of beer. You have the feeling that you are entering someone else’s environment; a sense of voyeurism that hangs over the entryway, as if the mansion’s owners have simply walked out and will return shortly to find a stranger walking across the antiquated floorboards. This sense lingers as you glimpse the first-floor parlors, dining rooms, and vintage bathrooms that still house original marble bathtubs, beveled-glass windows, and 19th-century tile work.
So what happened in this house where money was not an issue and a brewing dynasty was created? It all started with the sudden death of William Jacob Lemp’s youngest son, Frederick. William never recovered from the shock and later shot himself in the upstairs bedroom.
The family curse continued when Elsa Lemp Wright, William’s only daughter and the wealthiest woman in St. Louis at the time, shot herself through the heart one morning while her husband was showering in the master bathroom at a luxurious mansion not far from Lemp’s house. . Her suicide occurred just 12 days after he remarried her ex-husband, causing the suspension to hang over his exact movements that morning. The fact that her husband waited several hours to report her death only whetted the appetite of an insatiable public for information about the strange death of another wealthy man in the city.
After William Lemp committed suicide, the dynasty’s torch was passed to William’s second son, Billy Lemp, who was reluctant to carry the heavy load of running a gigantic brewing business with the popularity of his biggest competitor, Anheuser Busch, breathing down his throat. in the neck. As prohibition, declining sales, and depression took hold, Billy also shot himself in what is now the dining room to the left of the mansion’s front door.
Three suicides by firearm in a family. You’d think the pall hanging over this house would be satisfied. However, there would be a fourth and final death at home in 1949 when Charles Lemp, the third son, shot himself in his bedroom. He had become a notorious hermit and germaphobe in the days leading up to his suicide. Due to his fear of contamination, he laundered money, shoes were left outside the door (and washed) and visitors were discouraged. One of the few people allowed into the dark sanctuary was horror movie star Vincent Price, who had been a friend of Charles.
On the morning of Charles’s death, two shots are heard in the quiet house. Only two servants were in the residence. Mr. Lemp shot his trusty dog and then himself. He didn’t want to leave the dog alone without him. And this is where the gruesome tragedies of Lemp Mansion end…or do they?
During my two-night stay at the mansion, I was amazed at the myriad of paranormal occurrences. For a lady who has slept in the beds of some of the world’s most haunted places, this is quite the confession.
My first night there I was given the attic room where a lot of activity has been reported. I was not disappointed. A little before one in the morning something started kicking the side of my bed. My impression at the time was that he felt like a petulant child kicking the wall. At 5:30 that same morning, I was woken up by the pressure on both sides of my feet through the blanket. The room was still dark and it took all my courage to reach for my cell phone and shine its light at my feet, not knowing what the little glow would illuminate. There, on either side of my feet, were two small footprints on the blanket that looked like a child’s small shoes. The traces remained long after the sensation of weight had disappeared. I was told later that a small child had died in that attic room; a deformed child belonging to the Lemp family.
The next night I was given the Lavender Lady room on the second floor. It is a spacious suite with a bathroom with a whirlpool tub and a living room. A ghost tour was going on in the hallways when I entered my room. My sister and my nephew who live in St. Louis had come to spend the night with me. Just as I collapsed onto the bed, the ancient chandelier above me went into a flurry of flickering lights. It went on for several minutes, while my sister wailed next to me. I finally thought of my phone and grabbed it, clicking the camera and turning it to video. I filmed the erratic blinking and then started asking him questions. I asked her to stop blinking if it was because someone in the room had died causing it. He immediately stopped. I then asked it to blink once if the person causing the interference died in that room. He blinked once. By now my sister begs me to “stop talking to her!” This continued for another 5 minutes and the “verbal” volleyball was finally over. The brightness of the light remained constant and did not respond to my questions.
The next morning at 5:15, as I was lying in bed getting ready to get up and pack for a plane flight, I heard two loud gunshots from outside my bedroom door. I felt as if ice water had been poured into my veins. My heart was beating. Shortly after the shots were fired, what sounded like a large dog barking was heard. There are no pets at Lemp Mansion and staff don’t report until 10 am My nephew woke up and said he just heard a big dog. He did not hear the shots.
Charles Lemp shot his dog and then himself early that fateful morning in 1949. I strongly believe that I heard what is called a residual ghost: a replayed loop from the past.
To date, the Lemp Mansion is the most haunted place I have ever known. I encourage you to visit this famous B&B in St. Louis. One tip… take a flashlight!
