The Lemp Mansion
Kelly Glueck
-Managing Editor-
Built over 140 years ago, the Lemp Mansion has had its fair share of residents, both living and dead. Its legacy began when William Lemp Sr.’s inherited his father’s booming brewery in 1862. In its time, the mansion has seen two suicides and several ghost-hunting fans. Including the current paranormal team offering guided tours throughout the historic home.
The tours include infrared cameras to help visitors capture orbs and shadows through the pitch-black corridors.
First, the guide will take you to the third floor. This level has a children’s corridor and a few bedrooms, including Esla Lemp’s room. Lemp Mansion staff and guides agree that this is the most active room. Esla, William Lemp, Sr.’s daughter, committed suicide in her home weeks after remarrying her husband.
Next stop is the second floor. This floor includes Charles Lemp’s bedroom; where he shot his dog and then himself. Charles had a son named Edwin who worked in the brewery, until he retired and moved to Kirkwood.
William “Billy” Lemp Jr, is the eldest of the Lemp kin. He lived in Kirkwood until the prohibition. The brewing business was hurting. Not long after the company was sold, Billy shot himself in his office, currently the dining room on the main floor, left of the front door.
From the Industrial Revolution to the Great Depression, this mansion has seen both joy and sorrow, and has its fair share of stories. Why not explore the history of St. Louis and have a potential encounter with the paranormal?
