Claudius Strehle, a tailor, came to America in 1832 from near Gocklingen, Germany. In 1838, Catherina Nousz joined him and became his bride. They crossed the ferry from New Orleans to Gretna where they established a home in 1840. By then they had two children, Frederick and Louisa. The family grew with seven more children.

Claudius bought a large plot of land in the 200 block of Lafayette Street and built the family home around 1845, a Creole cottage with 6/6 windows. That house today is called the Kitty Strehle House, named for his youngest daughter. On this plot of land across the yard, Claudius’s son built the Ignatious Strehle House. At some point in the 1800s, he sold a plot of land to the David Crockett Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 and became a charter member of the group.

Above the mantle in the living room is a photo from the 1800s of Catherine “Kitty” Strehle. When she died, she was the last of the original family to have lived in the home. Miss Kitty, as she was affectionately called by her students began her teaching career at age 16 where she had pupils older than herself. The boys sat in one room while the girls sat in another. Her chair was between the two rooms.

She taught continuously for more than a half-century, 57 years to be exact, until her retirement in 1937. She taught piano lessons at her home and provided entertainment at the school and church. One of her first graders was U. S. Representative Hale Boggs.

She spent a lot of time sitting on the front porch in her rocking chair and chatted to passersby. She detested housework, just like some of us, and enjoyed shopping on Front Street. She was a very generous person to her relatives in the Great Depression, lending or giving money away as it was needed. Before her nieces and nephews started first grade, Aunt Kitty would gather the children together on the back porch and teach them to read.

The ornate easel found in the living room today is original to the house.
The sideboard in the dining room was originally in the Perpetual Adoration Convent dating back to the 1800s. GHS members, Jeannine and Murray Naquin bought it and donated it to the society. The silver plate was found in the backyard. The china plates are German and of the period, on loan.

On the sewing machine, a piece from the 1800s is a gatherer/pleater machine. The arms are removable to be heated in the fire or heated on the stove and then used for shirts and dresses. The dress form is from the 1800s as well. Note the wrought iron bottom and the tiny waistline on the dress form. On display is a charcoal burner which was used to heat up water for washing. It was also used to boil large tubs of water when it was time to make orange marmalade, a favorite of the times. At one time there was a sour orange tree in the backyard of the property.