For the first time in 51 years, a legendary piece of St. Louis history is on the market. The Lemp Mansion and Lemp stables, the storied Benton Park properties that date back to the city’s beer baron days, have both been listed for sale. Brian Besse and Kim Wright of Fusion Business Brokers are handling the listing on behalf of its current owners, Patty and Paul Pointer. The mansion is being offered at $3.9 million, while the stables are listed for $2.8 million.
“This is far more than the acquisition of a restaurant or event venue,” Besse and Wright said in a press release announcing the sale. “It is an opportunity to acquire two recognizable historic properties connected to one of St. Louis’ most fascinating families and brewing legacies.”
The Mansion’s Infamous History
Before it became a restaurant, event venue, and internationally infamous hotbed of paranormal activity, the Lemp Mansion was the family home of the Lemp beer dynasty, which began in 1840 when Johann “Adam” Lemp founded a lager-focused business called Western Brewery. His son, William Lemp Sr., took over operations after his father’s passing and carried forth the patriarch’s plan to move the brewery from its original home on 2nd Street to Cherokee Street; he also purchased the large Victorian house that stood in the brewery complex’s shadow. Renamed after the family in 1870, the brewery would go on to become the largest operation of its kind in St. Louis, adding to the family’s already impressive wealth (Adam Lemp died a millionaire), while the Victorian would go on to become the family’s stunning manse.
Behind the marble mantles, iron gates, parlors, ballrooms, and menagerie, however, lay a tragic history that has made the Lemp Mansion an infamous site, which many believe to be haunted. Following his son Frederick’s mysterious death in 1901, William Lemp Sr. took his own life in 1904; William Jr. also died by suicide 18 years later—two years after his sister did (though not inside the mansion). And that was not the end of the Lemp family tragedies: William Lemp III died of a heart attack at 42, and his brother, Charles, took his own life six years later, in 1949.
These tragic events—coupled with unsubstantiated Lemp family mysteries and legends—have made the mansion a destination for ghost hunters and paranormal enthusiasts. The mansion has been the subject of several popular national television shows, including Ghost Hunters (SyFy Channel), Ghost Adventures, Most Terrifying Places in America (Travel Channel), and Paranormal State (A&E). Many consider it to be one of the most haunted places in the country, and, as such, it has become a popular destination for paranormal tourists, ghost hunters, and the macabre curious.
Current Use
The Lemp Mansion is not all ghost stories and tragic tales. Over the years, the stunning property has become a popular event venue and hosted weddings, corporate retreats, and other celebrations. (Everything currently booked will be honored, Besse and Wright emphasize.) It also boasts a restaurant known for its all-you-can-eat fried chicken dinners on Sunday nights, as well as its overnight accommodations, dinner theater events, and historic tours. As Besse and Wright explain, the new owner will benefit from the mansion’s established clientele and international celebrity.
“This combination gives a new owner something that cannot be created through conventional real estate development: an authentic story, historic architecture and an established name with national recognition,” Besse and Wright say. They emphasize that new owners will have the opportunity to build upon what’s already been created, including the potential to expand overnight lodging and hospitality packages, increase events, expand food and beverage offerings, lean further into paranormal events, and more.
They also note that the mansion’s entire contents are part of the sale. “There are so many historical artifacts in the building and entire rooms of antiques that are staying,” Wright says. “If someone walks in there, whatever they see is coming with it.”
The Stables
In addition to the mansion, the Lemp Stables, located at 1817–1821 Cherokee Street, are also up for sale. Although the two can be sold to the same buyer, Besse and Wright explain that the Pointers are willing to separate them and are offering them as two separate entities.
A stunning venue in its own right, the stables are currently home to Bluewood Brewing and its accompanying brewpub concept. The space has also been home to restaurants The Stable, and Table, while Bluewood served as a food incubator for 809 Burgers and B. McArthur’s Neighborhood Taco Shack.
Besse and Wright note that a new owner interested in both properties could better connect the concepts through shared branding, events, dining, and tourism.
The Sale of a Legend
Following the passing of the last Lemp to live in the mansion, Edwin, who died in 1970 of natural causes at age 90, brother and sister Paul and Patty Pointer acquired the property and poured their hearts into restoring the property to its past splendor. The Pointers have been good stewards, Besse and Wright explain, doing a variety of restoration and renovation projects.
“They really take care of their property,” Besse says. “They do not put Band-Aids on things. They redid the sewer laterals, they put a new roof on it, and they landscaped it. The Pointers have definitely maintained this property. It’s impeccable, really, the shape that this building is in.”
As serious as they have taken their roles as stewards of such an important piece of St. Louis history, Besse and Wright tell SLM that it is simply time for them to close this chapter. “They’re in their 60s and 70s, and it’s just time,” Wright says.
Interested parties are advised to contact Fusion Business Brokers to arrange a private showing. Contact information can be found at fusionadvantage.com.
Find the best food in St. Louis
Subscribe to the St. Louis Dining In and Dining Out newsletters to stay up-to-date on the local restaurant and culinary scene.
L
