Built in 1911 for Edwin A. Lemp, Cragwold is one of four estates built near the Meramec River between 1910 and 1920 by wealthy St. Louisans with ties to German-American and brewing families. The centerpiece of the Cragwold estate is the Lemp Residence, an approximately 11,000-square-foot home, built embracing the ideals of the Arts and Crafts movement. The design of the house and character of the estate grounds reflected Lemp's love of nature and passion for exotic animals. The house was designed around a large center atrium filled with tropical plants and several species of exotic birds. By the 1920s, the estate grounds became home to more exotic birds, and ungulate (hoofed mammals) from many continents. Lemp operated the estate as an exotic animal farm and was licensed as a Federal Game Farm.