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A Night at the Lemp Mansion

 

I spent a memorable night at The Lemp Mansion with my cousin, Cindy. It was memorable for me, because of the activity. Memorable for Cindy, because it firmly cemented in her mind that she would never return.

We stayed in the Charles Lemp suite. Charles was the last of the Lemp family to take his own life in the Mansion. Stories have circulated that he went downstairs and shot his dog then returned to his bedroom to shoot himself.William Lemp, Jr This is not true. He shot himself in the morning, on his bed. He was the only member of the Lemp family to leave a note, and the fourth to commit suicide. Three in the Mansion and a sister in her home in another St. Louis neighborhood. Charles stated that when found, 'blame no one but me'.Lillian Lemp He left word that his last remaining brother, Edwin, was to have his body taken immediately, without any further preparation, and have it cremated, and to bury the ashes on his farm in St. Louis County. The burial spot of Charles Lemps' ashes will never be known. After the death of Edwin, all Lemp papers were burned along with valuable artwork and other items as requested by Edwin of his groundskeeper.

The night we stayed in Charles' suite, there was a party in the outside gazebo that lasted until around midnight. All other suites were occupied for the night, so any investigation we might be able to do was limited. We did wander about the house and took some photographs, did a little EVP work and took some video film. There was nothing remarkable. At around 1:00 AM, we decided to call it a night. I set up my video camcorder, which is not equipped with night vision, on a small table at the entrance to the room, pointing it toward a corner where there was a little light coming in through the window from outside. The guest table was set up in this corner and it included a coffeemaker, muffins and an ice bucket filled with ice, wine and orange juice. My reason for setting up the camera was to use it to record audio, as my tape recorder would make a rather loud "click" when the tape was finished, and the camcorder would simply shutdown after two hours. I did not expect any video to be useful.

lemp Mansion I was sleeping peacefully for about an hour, but awoke when my cousin began to move around. She was hot in the room and finding it difficult to sleep. We spoke for a few seconds, and I drifted back off... but not for long. Almost immediately I was totally awakened by the sound of the ice in our ice bucket being literally tossed into the sink in the room. It was very loud. I asked Cindy, "What was that?" She replied, "I think it was the ice". We could both see the bucket sitting on the table and knew it had not moved, but there was no mistaking the sound we heard.

After awhile, I was able to sleep again, though I don't believe Cindy ever did.

When I reviewed the two hours of video tape the next day, I noticed that the little light that came in through the drapes began to distort after awhile. The camcorder self-focuses, and I assumed it was trying to do just that. Gradually it began to get more and more distorted. I continued to watch it, and reached the point in the tape where Cindy and I awoke just before the sound of the ice. There it was, on the tape, the recording of the ice being thrown into the sink. I was delighted to have caught it on tape! It was loud and sounded exactly as it had the night before!

I recorded a copy of that portion of the tape onto DVD to keep it safe. It was a very exciting night and a very good catch for me. I since returned to Lemp and spent an hour closed up in Charles' room alone, attempting to record EVPSs through asking questions, but was unable to get a response.

I will not give up. I continue to visit Lemp and will continue to try to contact Charles Lemp every chance I get. I recommend anyone who can visit this top haunted America site to go!

I haven't uploaded the video yet. I have another video from Lemp on youtube that is basically a walkthrough with downstairs dining and upstairs. Then I walk around the upstairs corner to the corridor that leads back to the old vault door, and there appears to be a man at that door, or on it. I have posted it on TAPS and some thought at first it was a man who stepped out of Charles' Lemp's suite, but that man looked out and then left through the main hallway door. The door is painted black, it is a bit shiny and it is worn in places, but it's still very interesting, because it is at Lemp. I have made quite a study of the Mansion and it's family. I consider them very special. I plan to "master it" and those who lived there. I know it like the back of my hand, and even though the man at the door seems easy to debunk, it is still strange. Anything can happen at that house. I will add my youtube link. The video I talk about in the story is hard, because I am having audio trouble on my computer and without it, the video isn't worth much. But I got some of the problem solved, and it may be my program for retrieving video from my camera. I am working on it.

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UnproGhostHunter (7 posts)
+1
12 years ago (2013-02-24)
I love doing resource on haunted places in Missouri. Since I am a Missourian, and love learning about haunted places, I decided to do resource on the Lemp family past. William J. Lemp Sr.'s father created the Western Brewery, which was located where the left foot of the arch stands today. His father was the first to sell German Lager in the USA. Over the years there where 100 different breweries, owned by William's father, in St. Louis alone. His beer was becoming very popular and was getting sold nationwide. In 1861 William's father died and William became the sole owner of the company. In 1892 William J. Lemp Brewing company explained off the Western Brewery. William was going to pass his company off to his son Fredrick, but Freddie died of complications of diseases. William Sr. Slowly declined and he ended up shooting himself on Feb. 13, 1904. After that William Jr. Took over the company, and his wife ended up divorcing him for abuse. All the breweries the Lemps owned suffered during Prohibition, and manly where shut down and sold for pennies on the dollar. On December 29, 1922, William Jr shot himself in his office. NOTE: Both suicides happened in the Lemp mansion. Elsa Lemp Wright, was William Sr.'s youngest, suffered from mental, not down-syndrome but insane, and physical health problems that she was not treated for. Elsa ended up shooting herself at her home in her own bed.
The other death in the house was Charles Lemp was visiting the house and he ended up shooting his dog then himself. What I think is the weirdest thing about this story is, THEY ALL COMMITTED SUICIDE BY SHOOTING THEMSELVES! Maybe there was something happening behind closed doors, maybe this all started when William Sr. Was a kid, and he could of been abused by his father, and on down the line from child to child? Share your thoughts! 😆 ❤
tips_leadinvestigator (9 posts)
+1
16 years ago (2009-02-24)
I have actually done an all night investigation at the Lemp Mansion back in August of 2007. My team and I had several personal experiences as well as a few documented experiences. We are returning this summer to investigate some more. The Lemp Mansion in St. Louis Missouri is, in my opinion, one of the most haunted locations in the country. If you come to the Lemp in hopes to see a ghost, I promise you the Lemp Mansion will not let you down. 😁
mustang (5 stories) (749 posts)
+1
17 years ago (2008-01-09)
Hi FRAWIN and Buffy. I definitely agree with your theories or thoughts, whatever you want to call them (my brain is in such a fog because of a sinus infection that I have had for several weeks and the Zethromiacin is making me very ill. I am eating with the antibiotics but I finished my third and last pill two days ago and still feel messed up!) Anyway, back to the subject and hand. FRAWIN- I do think that they are making alright money but sometimes it's just not enough. Everything is WAY too expensive! It's really ridiculous. Plus he has a stay at home wife, right? I guess it also depends on where you live and how much things cost. Down here in Florida, it is very expensive to live here! Being that my husband and I have four kids, we really need to live where Buffy lives. In Indiana. I read in my Parent's magazine a long time ago that that is one of the five states that they named to be the less costly place to live. I would literally DIE if I did not live two minutes from the beach/ocean. All I have to do is take the Veterans expressway and I'm there in literally two minutes. And that's only ONE of the beaches we live near. I mean I could and would live somewhere else if I had to. I'm not pampered or anything. I was born here and have never lived anywhere else and really never want to. I would get so homesick. I remember in 7th grade when we went to Alabama to visit my Grandmother, God rest her soul, for part of the summer and I got really homesick, There are LOTS of places I want to visit though.

Have either of you seen that show "Ghost Adventures"? It's pretty cool! There is two episodes and it hardly ever comes on and when it does, they are repeats!
😠

Buffy- I have seen Haunted Hollywood and I have the "Haunted America" BOOK but I don't think that I have seen it.

Hey guys? For the past three or four days I have been having visions while laying in the bed, kind of like half asleep but not and they are really happening? Also, for the past three weeks, or maybe less, I have been hearing little children while everyone is asleep and it is usually at night. On top of all that, I have been seeing weird, shadowy things or little blinking lights, like your story "Fireflies" story Buffy. This all has been happening since I have been sick. I haven't been trying to tune in to my abilities, it's just happening. I'm thinking that since I've been sick that maybe either something is keeping an eye on me or that my mind is more open to the paranormal/otherside because I haven't been busy around the house and the kids have kind of been fending for theirselves, except for the things they absolutely need me for. That's how 'poopy' I feel. When I stand up I get really nauseated and dizzy like my equalibrium is off or something. So what I'm getting at, is that maybe I am more open minded to the paranormal because of not having so much loudness in my house or my head for that matter. The kids have been kind of quiet for a change because they know that I'm not feeling great. Trying not to take over this page, but, what do you guys think about why all of this is happening? I have a clue but not concrete, and other intelligent minds and opinions would be much appreciated?!~Shelby ❤ 😊
whitebuffalo (guest)
 
17 years ago (2008-01-09)
I have to agree with you, FRAWIN. They do have an awesome sponsor in roto rooter, do they not? I also like Ghost Hunters better than Paranormal State, but only as P.S. Seems to be more of a series type of show. You know, where the plot continues on throughout the season, even though they battle new ghosts every episode.
HOW are they able to battle new ghosts every episode? Even on Haunted America and Haunted Hollywood there were episodes that did not have any kind of activity. That is more realistic. I think it disappoints the casual observer to see that in some of these "true reality shows" all ghosts appear to perform on command. Then in their real lives, where there really IS something, they can not get the ghosts to respond to the same stimuli that the shows use.
In other words in EVERY episode there is a group fighting off the unknown in the deepest darkest parts of East Chicago or West Miami. How is it so hard to think perhaps the ghosts are dormant or not what we refer to at home as "ghost slaves"?
While G.H. Does get a paid endorsement, and they do say in their advertisement "plumbers by day..." maybe that is how it all started out, but realistically you know that their hobby turned into so much more.
As far as P.S. I think perhaps this fledgling series is going to be short run, or blow up like that series "Charmed" did. For some reason, more people want to believe in the dark side of ghosts and do not want to believe that some just... Are.
FRAWIN (guest)
 
17 years ago (2008-01-09)
Hey Shelby, Ghost Hunters is one of the highest rating shows on "cable'" and if you think that they don`t get a tidy paycheck off of the show, well 😉 do you want to buy some oceanfront property in Tennessee. Just kidding Shelby but really do you think that they can go to all the different places, film all the shows and still have time to run a Roto Rooter business? And what about their crew, Bryan, Steve, Tango and all the others, do you think that their employers let's them have that much time off to go ghost hunting? It just seems to me that they should come out and say, yes we have a roto rooter business but we are having someone else run it for us because we are making too much money on the show to worry about stopped up toilets. Plus we get so much from roto rooter for plugging it on our show. It seems to me that if they "lie" about one thing, what else are they lying about.

FRAWIN ❤ 😊
mustang (5 stories) (749 posts)
 
17 years ago (2008-01-08)
Hey guys, ghost hunting doesn't pay and the t.v. Show probably does not pay much! ~Shelby ❤
whitebuffalo (guest)
 
17 years ago (2008-01-05)
Yeah, FRAWIN, I do think they are still working a roto rooter. I saw it on the t.v. It HAS to be true! 😆
FRAWIN (guest)
 
17 years ago (2008-01-05)
Hey whitebuffalo, do you really think that Jason and Grant, after having one of the highest rating shows, really unstops toilets as a day job? 😆 I know that I wouldn`t.

FRAWIN 😊
whitebuffalo (guest)
 
17 years ago (2008-01-05)
Hi melonlover.
To answer your question, TAPS is The Atlantic Paranormal Society. They are a group of people who have both a radio and a television series and they are ghost hunters. Plumbers by day and ghost hunters by night.
melonlover (3 stories) (50 posts)
 
17 years ago (2008-01-05)
You know TAPS? Well what is it, some kind of ghost hunting show because we don't have it in England. We have like Most haunted. Anyway I want to ask you, Why were there loads of people there that night anyways? Spooky 😁 ❤ Melonlover
whitebuffalo (guest)
 
17 years ago (2007-12-04)
I always enjoy a story with a little background. Especially as most people, when telling a story, assume that everyone hearing it have some kind of knowledge of it ahead of time. This is amazing, I can not find the youtube link, but it sounds fascinating. Whatever happened to TAPS?
wolfgang (1 posts)
 
17 years ago (2007-10-26)
Most of the Lemp papers were not burnt by Charles servent. Lillian Lemps personal maid/seamtress inherit most of personal items of the Lemp family... The Family Library (all books with Willian J. Lemp's Sr.,Jr.,and Fredrick's personal signatures on inside covers) A one pound soild silver coin date "1864" a second place award for Lemps Larger beer(who won first place in 1864?) A large "Lemp" Family crest, Lillians rocking chair, Yards of cloth, used to make dresses for Lillian, A mounted fish caught by William J. Lemp (dated 1904... Now hanging over the Lemp Mansion's bar) Lillian's Lavinder colored Shoes also displayed at the Lemp Mansion. The maid/seamstress died and left these items and MORE!... To a family who befriended her in later years... How do I know all this? The family who inherented all these personal "Lemp" items are old family freinds of ours. They told me that when they cleaned out the old ladies house (maid/seamtress) that in the basement were boxes of papers that were dumped in the middle of the floor, most of these papers had "Lemps" letter heads and the personal stamp... Folders full of papers with the "Lemp" logo on front. I asked what became of the papers and folders... I was told the papers were left for trash! I became physically ill! (Feeling the same "sick" feeling as I write this!) The lavinder shoes were given to me, that's how they ended up at the Lemp Mansion, along with a peice of black-lace material belonging to Lillain. Thats how I know all the Lemp family papers were not all burnt... Thrown away also... I wish I could say otherwise!
Pipnimble (1 posts)
 
17 years ago (2007-10-16)
I had a dinner at the mansion some years ago. I really didn't want to given the feedback I had obtained from friends who had bad luck after their visit there. Nevertheless, I went. Shortly after visiting the Lemp masion, I was involved in a head-on collision. I was wondering if others have had similar bad luck experiences after leaving the mansion.
Kimmy (guest)
 
17 years ago (2007-04-15)
WOW! I have also been to the lemp mansion before. While there my friend took a picture of my mom and me, and we caught what looked like the lavender lady in the picture. So we share experiance with the lemps.
EarthboundAngel (2 stories) (38 posts)
 
17 years ago (2007-04-09)
Wow! That's an awesome story. And to have TAPS put it on the website... That's always a good sign! =) Let us know about the other video with the ice.
miiish (3 stories) (40 posts)
 
18 years ago (2007-01-31)
Oh dear ! I just saw the video... & saw the man who appears to be standing ! Do U also notice a child ? It or "she" as I thought is standing at the right of the man and kind of peeking at first and then standing right next to him ! "She" was wearing a while dress... I could be wrong cause the clairty of the video is questionable ! Nevertheless, if no one was around and it was a "ghost" U did a gr8 job ! Cheers !
Haylee (guest)
 
18 years ago (2007-01-01)
Whoa scary! I woud be fricken flipped out. Places like that would give me the fricken creeps. I swear I have been in a haunted house. I heard loud footsteps upstairs. It was creepy.

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