Throughout the latter half of the nineteenth century, as America spread westward, industrial tycoons made a fortune building out the nation’s infrastructure, and growing their already substantial wealth in the process. In St. Louis, Missouri, one of those tycoons was Adam Lemp, whose Western Brewery was among the most productive and prosperous breweries in America. Following Adam’s death, the brewery was passed down to his son, William, starting a dynasty that would last nearly a century. It seems that, when Lemp passed the business on, he may have also passed on something far more insidious to his descendants that would mark the Lemp family for tragedy. In the decades that followed, the Lemp family suffered one tragic death after another, each one playing out in the Benton Park mansion where the Lemps resided. For more than a century, the residents of St. Louis have wondered who—or what—resided in the mansion that caused so much misfortune, and whether the spirits of the Lemps still walk the halls.
Throughout the latter half of the nineteenth century, as America spread westward, industrial tycoons made a fortune building out the nation’s infrastructure, and growing their already substantial wealth in the process. In St. Louis, Missouri, one of those tycoons was Adam Lemp, whose Western Brewery was among the most productive and prosperous breweries in America. Following Adam’s death, the brewery was passed down to his son, William, starting a dynasty that would last nearly a century.
It seems that, when Lemp passed the business on, he may have also passed on something far more insidious to his descendants that would mark the Lemp family for tragedy. In the decades that followed, the Lemp family suffered one tragic death after another, each one playing out in the Benton Park mansion where the Lemps resided. For more than a century, the residents of St. Louis have wondered who—or what—resided in the mansion that caused so much misfortune, and whether the spirits of the Lemps still walk the halls.
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St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 1949. "Charles A. Lemp, ex-brewer, kills self as did three others in family." St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 10: 1.
—. 1922. "William J. Lemp kills himself in brewery office." St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 29: 1.
—. 1904. "Wm. J. Lemp kills himself in grief." St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 13: 1.
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—. 1922. "William J. Lemp commits suicide by shooting self." St. Louis Star and Times, December 29: 1.
Taylor, Betsy. 2001. "Lemp Mansion, rumored to be haunted, draws attention to St. Louis history." Daily American Republic, October 31: 3.
Walker, Stephen. 1989. Lemp: The Haunting History. St. Louis, MO: Lemp Preservation Society.
Wilkinson, Melissa. 2020. Exploring a Lemp Mansion mystery. March 4. Accessed October 2, 2026. https://www.timesnewspapers.com/westendword/exploring-a-lemp-mansion-mystery/article_14480610-5d8f-11ea-ae8d-d70995bc6099.html.