That crazy bend in I-55 just south of the brewery was not planned; it was added later to save the DeMenil Mansion, which in turn saved the old Lemp Mansion and several buildings of the Lemp Brewery to the south. There are still a lot of crashes along this stretch of interstate, I’ve been told, because of the bend.
Originally owned by the Jacob Feickert family, the house passed to the Lemp family when William Lemp Sr. married their daughter Julia. The original Adam Lemp mansion was demolished north of Cherokee Street; it later housed a candy company.
The Lemp Mansion is strange in that it stretches deep into the property, as opposed to having a grand facade along the street. Almost certainly it received several additions, as can be seen from the unbalanced north side of the house.
The south side, with its conservatory and second floor addition, overlooks the garden. The Lemps had moved out by Prohibition, and the mansion had been converted into offices. William Lemp Jr., while committing suicide in the house, had already moved out to Alswel, just as his brother Edwin had at Cragwold.
I find the story of the Lemp family fascinating and tragic. The quality of the construction of the brewery buildings and the mansion is just fantastic…it seems as though you could flick a switch and start cranking out beer tomorrow.
I am a beer geek and a home brewer, so I know this is all much more interesting to me than the average person. Being a transplant to St. Louis I find it baffling and sad when I ask natives about the Lemp family/brewery, and they don’t even know what I’m talking about.