The Lemp Legacy

Many vintage murals and signs deserve restoration, but some fall victim to new construction or “progress.” However, their classic style still inspires modern, retro-themed projects. One such specimen recently appeared on the side of St. Louis’ historic Lemp Mansion, which was built in the early 1860s and purchased by William J. Lemp, then-owner of the Lemp brewery, which was a prominent brand in the St. Louis beer industry until Prohibition. Although the brewery has been idle for 90 years, the elegant Victorian mansion remains a busy restaurant and tourist attraction, and the brewery’s former industrial complex still stands nearby.

Measuring 18 x 24 ft. and painted on brick, the mural depicts a bartender in period attire pouring a beer and lettering within a shield, the Lemp trademark. It beckons passing drivers on I-55 below to stop for lunch or libation. However, four decades ago, when the interstate was built, it divided long-established neighborhoods. Although the highway’s path spared the Lemp Mansion, it made it less accessible. Although the mural doesn’t serve a wayfinding function, it helps provide the mansion with an unmistakable identity.

To help the site’s visibility, Paul Pointer, the Lemp Restaurant’s proprietor, hired veteran wall dog and St. Louis resident Lonnie Tettaton to create the mural. Hearkening back to the era of the “Walldog” and artistic signpainting, Lonnie has created hundreds of wall signs in the metro area, many of them of his own design. At 71, he walks with a cane in each hand, which became necessary after a fall from a ladder.

Undaunted, he mounted that scaffolding 50 ft. above Interstate 55 and finished the job. After agreeing on the layout, Lonnie made a 1:24 scale sketch from which he would work. “I made a [pounce] pattern for the logo, and then illustrated everything else on location,” he said.

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Working solo, Lonnie painted for two days and was nearly finished when he was faced with a city-issued, stop-work order; Pointer had neglected to apply for a work permit. The next three months required wading through the red tape of four civic agencies to gain clearance to finish the mural. Pointer was ready to concede defeat and tell Lonnie to coat over his work.

Finally, it came down to a decision by the board of the St. Louis’ Heritage and Urban Design Commission: They voted three to two in favor of keeping the mural — with the stipulation that the sign couldn’t be lit at night or enlarged. Also, Pointer was required to remove the banner that hung alongside the mural.

Lonnie got back on that scaffolding and finished the job. He collected $1,800 for his work – he traded part of his payment for meals prepared by Pointer’s chefs. Competing for attention against scores of digitally printed signs that straddle I-55 around St. Louis, Lonnie’s unique work truly draws attention. Accolades don’t matter to him, though.

“Sure, thousands see it everyday,” he says. “I don’t give it a thought. It’s like an actor who performs regardless of the size of the audience: I just do my thing.”