Gretna Historic District
Gretna, in Jefferson Parish, is home to one of Louisiana's largest national historic districts.
Gretna Historical Society Museum
Just across the Mississippi River from New Orleans, the town of Gretna (originally known as Mechanickham) was settled by German immigrants in the 1830s and retains much of its historic charm. Stroll through hundreds of distinctive properties that comprise the Gretna Historic District, where Creole cottages, shotgun houses, railroad stations and churches reflect an array of architectural styles from 1845 to 1935.
Several of Gretna’s most notable historic sites are managed by the Gretna Historical Society and are located within the Gretna Historical Society Museum complex. Start your journey at The Kittie Strehle Home, which anchors this complex. German immigrants Claudius Strehle and Catherine Nousz built the four-room house in 1840, then raised nine children in it. There was an outside stairway to the attic where the children slept. The home is furnished with artifacts from the late 1800s through 1939. The cottage is named after the youngest daughter, who was the last of the family to live in the home. She is a landmark herself by having taught school for more than 55 years and has a school named in her honor.
The Catherine Strehle Elementary School is in the community of Avondale. Kittie graduated at age 16 and actually taught school in her home. The boys were in one room and the girls another with an open doorway between them. She also gave piano lessons to the young people of Gretna to supplement her income.
When the Strehle’s purchased the corner, first their home was built and then they sold the next lot to the David Crockett Fire Company. It is now home to the state's oldest volunteer fire company and the Louisiana State Fire Museum. The museum contains firefighter memorabilia from around the entire state. In the rear of the property another cottage was built for one of the sons, Ignatius. It is now the Gretna Historical Society Museum, with displays on the city’s mayors, police department, religions and education. Another pride and joy is the building known as the Gretna Green Blacksmith Shop. For group tours, a demonstration on the “art of blacksmithing” is conducted.
