German heritage has been preserved at Deutschheim State Historic Site in Hermann. In 1978, a local preservation group, the Hermann Brush and Palette Club, donated the two buildings that make up the historic site to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
The Pommer-Gentner house, built in 1840, is one of the oldest surviving buildings in Hermann. The splendid brick dwelling, executed in the German neoclassical style, is furnished to reflect the period of the 1830s and 1840s. The half-timbered barn behind the house contains displays of gardening and other tools used in the 19th century. This building is located onMarket Streetnear theBondBridgethe crosses theMissouri River.
The main part of the Carl Strehly house onWest Second Streetwas built in 1842. Over the next 27 years, the house was modified and enlarged to create the property visitors see today. Until 1854, the dwelling housed Strehly and Eduard Muehl’s printing business from which two German-language newspapers were issued. About 1857, a winery was erected next to the house with a vaulted brick cellar, a wine production room and, for a short time, a tavern. Today, the Strehly house interprets the daily life of a German American middle-class family of moderate means during the era of 1865-1880.
The interpretation of both houses includes appropriate period gardens, while changing exhibits and special programs provide insights into the German settlement regions and customs of the 19th and early 20th centuryMissouri. Tours of the historic site are given for a nominal fee.