The Lehmann House Bed and Breakfast
Posted: 09.24.2024 | Updated: 09.24.2024
Once considered the “Gateway to the West,” St. Louis also offers an entrance of a different kind - to another trail that winds its way through a mysterious world of the unknown and the unexplained. Perhaps no place is as well known for its macabre goings-on than The Lehmann House Bed and Breakfast. Don’t let its elegant facade fool you. The inn has a dark side - filled with eerie shadows, ghostly apparitions, mysterious noises, and the foreboding presence of the dead.
St. Louis has become home to many restless spirits. They come from its days as a hardscrabble frontier town to a vibrant Midwest City.
Who Haunts the Lehmann House?
Over the years, many documented (and undocumented) haunted happenings have been at Lehmann House Bed & Breakfast. But who is doing the haunting? While there has been some debate, the consensus is the spirit making itself at home in the massive manor is none other than Edward S. Rowse, the original owner. In 1893, Rowse, a real estate developer, banker, and the man behind the development of the city’s most prosperous neighborhood, decided to build his dream home. He envisioned it as a palace where he and his wife could wile away their golden years in the lap of luxury. Unfortunately, his golden years didn’t last very long. In less than a year, Rowse passed away in terrible pain right in his own house.
But after spending two million dollars (in today’s currency) on his magnificent abode, Rowse wasn’t about to be cheated out of his dream. So he decided to stick around and enjoy his digs for a bit longer.
Book a ghost tour with St. Louis Ghosts to learn more about the haunted history of St. Louis.
A Mansion Like No Other
Take a stroll along historic Lafayette Square. Once home to the city’s elite, many of its mansions are a true monument to the excesses of the Gilded Age. And looming above it all is #10 Benton Place - home to The Lehmann House Bed and Breakfast.
Lehmann House has served as a mirror for the city’s elegance, history, and culture for over one hundred and fifty years. Today, the mansion has become the longest-running B&B in St. Louis. Every brick, beam, nook, cranny, and darkened hallway echoes tales of the past to those who once called it home.
After Rowse's unexpected death, his wife Anne Eliza sold the mansion to Frederick and Nora Lehmann in the late 1880s.
Frederick William (FW) Lehmann was a nationally known lawyer, orator, and budding politician with a long list of professional and philanthropic accomplishments. Later, he became the state’s solicitor general. Lehmann bought the house as a private residence to host distinguished guests and politicians. Three US presidents visited him during his time as solicitor general. His prominent place in St. Louis society led to the house being named after him.
After Lehmann’s death, the mansion changed hands several times. Thus began a slow decline into obscurity and disrepair. The property was finally rescued by a new owner who undertook much-needed renovations in the early 2000s.
Even today, The Lehmann House reflects the opulence of that bygone era. With 10,000 square feet and 26 rooms, it displays the ostentatious wealth usually associated with the tony streets of 19th-century Manhattan.
Hauntings at the Lehmann House Bed & Breakfast
Ghostly orbs caught on camera, shadowy figures who stealth through the night, shimmering apparitions, and noises that seem to emulate from nowhere—these ghostly occurrences have attracted the attention of the owner, guests, and even paranormal investigators for years. They all agree on one thing—the mansion is haunted.
The man, or spirit, doing the haunting is good old Edward Rowse; Rowse was one of three owners to die within the four walls of the mansion. The most recent one was in 1980 in the library, a room the current owner, Marie Davies, says her dogs refuse to enter. If you're wondering, Rowse’s favorite spots to hang out are in Nora's Room (the original primary bedroom where he died), the President's Room, and the Judge Sears Room.
A Creepy Relationship
Davies has had an odd relationship with Rowse for over 30 years. Yet, they somehow seem to coexist. She remembers one night when she awoke to the ghostly apparition of Rowse standing at the foot of the bed gazing down at her. She recognized Rowse from his distinctive mutton chop beard on a picture in the hallway near the library.
Another time, she awoke in the night to Rowse hovering over her dresser, rummaging through her possessions. “He was picking up pieces of jewelry and a hairbrush, just sort of looking through things,” she recalls. “My first conscious thought was, ‘Oh my God – he’s really tall.’ I turned my back to him and finally went to sleep.”
Rowse’s whereabouts can also be tracked by the eerie sounds of his footsteps strolling about on the second and third floors. The sounds of hard sole shoes often reverberate through the mansion, even when there’s no one there. Once, Marie and a friend heard the same noise in the empty house. “It sounded like a wagon or something with wheels being pulled across a hardwood floor,” she remembers. “The odd thing was that the room was carpeted.”
Unexpected Amenities
Guests have witnessed orbs dancing across the room and the feeling that they’re being watched. Then there’s the moving furniture and mysterious opening doors. When they check closely, there is no one there, only the sensation of a ghostly presence. There are similar stories about their belongings mysteriously disappearing and then reappearing. The primary bedroom, the third floor, and even the library are all centers of spiritual activity. While the house has become a 'home away from home' for thousands of guests every year, others seemingly have no desire to check out - ever.
Haunted St. Louis
St. Louis Ghosts offers a great way to tour our city and view many of our spooky haunts - including The Lehmann House Bed and Breakfast. Book your spot on a ghost tour with St. Louis Ghosts to hear them all. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and keep reading our blog for more real Missouri hauntings.
Old Edward will be waiting with open arms.
SOURCES
www.lehmannhouse.com https://stlghosts.com/
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