The Strehly House is a modern glimpse into the lives of middle class mid-1800’s German Immigrants
The Strehly house is recognized as a Missouri State Historical site, being a part of the greater Deutschheim Historical Site. This house was built by German immigrant Carl Strehly, and it is a physical testament to the American Dream. The idea of pulling oneself up by their bootstraps and making a new, more profitable life is the heart and soul of this mid-1800’s home.
The Strehly house (as depicted above) was originally built by Carl Strehly and others in town in 1842, however due to small being successful in his new home of Hermann, Missouri, other additions were added on. By the 1860's, the house was finished and took on the design that we know it for today. The house itself is a great indicator for how life was back then for the average resident of Hermann. In the back, it sports a small but significant vineyard, which all Hermann residents were encouraged to start growing due to the fertile soil and perfect grape vine conditions. The grapes found there to this day are direct descendents of the original vines planted on property.
The vineyard garnerd Strehly some success. This was one of, but not the first, successful venture that he and his family had in their new home. They were so successful, in fact, that after starting their vineyard in 1855, they had to build a major extension onto the house in 1857 to serve as a headquarters and distillery. It included a wine storage cellar in its basement, a tavern on the main floor, and a dance hall on the upper floor. It was a huge success in the town, and was a known gathering place for residents.
The Strehly house was not only a place where the town gathered, but it was also a place where information was dispersed. In 1843, Carl Strehly and his brother-in-law, Eduard Muehl, created the first German newspaper west of the Mississippi. Carl, having been the son of a well-regarded textile printer in Austria, was very familiar with the methods of printing. Muehl and Strehly printed their newspaper Licht Freund from 1843 until 1845, later renaming it to the Hermanner Wochenblatt. They spread information to the German immigrants in their native language, and were significantly political. According to the Columbia Tribune, they even went so far as to print the entirety of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” over the course of 26 weekly issues, completely translated into GermanThey continued printed the newspaper together until sometime between June and October of 1854, according to the State Historical Society of Missouri newspaper archives, where Muehl left. Carl continued to print the paper for another year, before moving on to his winery business.
The Strehly house is the home of innovation and entrepeneurial spirit. It stands as a monument to what immigrants dreamt of for their families when they came over with nothing. Carl Strehly built a life for his family out of next to nothing, and it stayed with his family. Rosa Strehly was born to Carl and his wife in 1865, and lived in the house until her passing in 1962, cherishing and loving the home that her father, and the people around him in the community, built. Later, the house was donated and deemed a State Historical Site, and is open to this day with everything still inside and intact from Rosa’s childhood. The story of this home comes full circle in the end, as it started as a place where information was spread from, and today there are many tours, informing guests daily on how life was lived back in the mid-1800s.
