The Lemp Mansion, built in 1868, is said to be one of the most haunted houses in the United States. The Lemp family, famous brewers at the time, were well known around the area. Though they were famous for their success, history sees them as a family plagued by tragedy. Beginning at the turn of the century, the first of several tragedies occurred when the heir passed away at the young age of 28. His father, unable to cope with the loss of his son, mourned but could not bring himself from his despair ultimately shooting himself just three years later. His second born son, William, was next inline to inherit the company and did so immediately upon his father's death.
William was not the best character, fathering a son with a woman who was not his wife. It is said that the illegitimate son was locked away in the mansion, never seen in the public eye. In the 1920's a second member of the family, William's sister, committed suicide. Two years later, William himself committed suicide. William's son (the son considered illegitimate) passed away in the mansion in the 1940's. This was followed shortly by the death of William's younger brother Charles who became the fourth member of the family to commit suicide.
After these events, the remaining family chose to sell the home which in turn became a boarding house. This is when the first accounts of haunting's are said to have reported at the Lemp Mansion. From disembodied voices, the footsteps without a source, the residents grew weary. As the paranormal activity increased, more and more residents moved out. By the mid 1970's, it became next to impossible to find tenants leading to the closure of the boarding house.
The home was eventually saved but not without a whole slew of new ghostly tales to add to the mix. Apparitions of a man have been seen quite often. Ghostly shadows. Touching, poking and even pushing have been felt. Flying objects, slamming doors, and bizarre sounds have all been heard in the mansion.
The Lemp Mansion is definitely a place to check out if you are ever in St. Louis. It is now a restaurant and inn. The owners even have ghost tours periodically, making it a lot easier to check out the mansion's haunted history.
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