17 March 2009

St. Louis Review: The Lemp Mansion


Okay, okay. So, the main reason that this is being documented this week is because this past Sunday, Kathleen, Pete and I braved the scary ghost stories and trekked (drove) to Benton Park to see this creepy palace.

To begin: I went to Lemp Mansion every Father's Day for years and years with mom, dad, and Emme for the fried chicken lunch. It is delicious. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, ham in pineapple, casseroles...everything. Dee-lish.

When I was about 10, my parents finally told me and Emme: Lemp Mansion is haunted. Um, WHAT?!?! I tried not to think about it. I didn't want the ghosts to hurt me when we went there. Eventually, we stopped going. None of us wanted to eat ALL that food. I hadn't been there in years, until this past Sunday...

Why do people say the Lemp Mansion is haunted? Well, many, many suicides have happened here. Fathers, sons, heirs...they've all killed themselves here, some of them in the same office, with the same gun...creepy! The Lemps totally kicked butt in the 1850's. They were producing ungodly amounts of alcohol and became millionaires many times over (that's what a pamphlet said at the mansion). Their family slowly deteoriated - people died young. Their business slumped. People cheated...and so, people began to off themselves. So THAT'S why it's haunted.

Don't believe me? That's fine. But here are some testimonials I found online. I just read them and am now freeeeeeeeaked out. Apparently, if you decide to stay there, the staff LEAVES you all alone in the house! (I realize this doesn't make sense. Hotel staff HAS to stay...but they must go somewhere secret to hide from you.) The majority of reports that I have been reading today say that there is this overwhelming feeling of "being watched", of "heaviness", and of hearing faint voices...when no one is there. Ew! Creepy! BUT, if you like ghosts, read them! Then come to St. Louis and we can hang out...except for when you go to the Lemp Mansion. I'll stay here, thank you very much.

1 comment:

Bridgett said...

No one will be here...in the night...in the dark...

Did you ever see the old version of Shirley Jackson's The Haunting? Yummy.

Never been to Lemp, but I like the t-shirt with the picture of the original Mr. Lemp on it, the words, "Drink my beer or I'll kill myself" at the bottom.