TheCaves of St. Louis have been important in the economic development ofSt. Louis,Missouri, United States. The city was built upon a complex of natural caves which were once used for thelagering of beer by early German immigrant brewers. Caves are naturally cool, which was especially attractive to brewers before the advent ofrefrigeration.[1]
Several breweries were built atop these natural caves, which were altered to suit their purposes. Stone arches and brick ceilings prevented water seepage and uneven cave floors were paved with brick. In addition to being used for the storage and lagering of beer, such naturally cool places were sometimes employed asbeer gardens, places for entertainment.
John Adam Lemp, coming to St. Louis fromGermany in 1838, started a brewery using natural caves for refrigeration. His sonWilliam J. Lemp took over the business and built theLemp Brewery industrial complex which still stands in St. Louis.[2] TheLemp Mansion was constructed by the Lemp Family and included a tunnel through the natural cave system leading to the Lemp Brewery. The Lemp Family would use this tunnel to go to work.[2]
Anoral tradition in St. Louis links the cave system with theUnderground Railroad. According to this tradition a tunnel behind the house at 3314 Lemp Avenue was used as a secret entrance to the caves. One entrance to the caves opens near theMississippi River, where theslaves could make their way to freedom.[3]
Cherokee Caves was one attempt to turn the caves near the Lemp Brewery into a commercial attraction. They were closed and the site was demolished to make way for the construction ofInterstate 55.[4] In January 2019, theMissouri Speleological Survey printed theHistory of Lemp Brewery Caverns and Cherokee Cave.
Old caves were often filled with rubble from the demolished buildings above them. Therefore, there may be many homes and houses currently built above entrances to the old system of caves which have since been filled in with rubble.The Lemp caves or Cherokee caves still exist.
