Samuel Hermann, born in Germany in 1777 or 1778, immigrated to Louisiana in 1804, settling on the “German Coast”, 25 miles upriver from New Orleans. There he met Marie Emeranthe Becnel, a widow with two children. They married while still living on the German Coast and had three children, Samuel Edmond (b. 1807), Louis Florian (b. 1810) and Lucien (b. 1811).
Around 1813 or 1814, the family moved to New Orleans, living in various houses in the French Quarter. In 1816, their youngest child and only daughter, Marie Virginie, was born.
Painting of Mrs. Samuel Hermann
Samuel was a commodities broker and became very successful during an economic boom time in New Orleans in the 1820’s and early 1830’s. He purchased the St. Louis Street property on which the Hermann-Grima House sits in 1823 and the family lived in the house that was there for a time. Later, after having acquired two lots behind the original lot, he tore down the original house and built the Hermann-Grima House, Slave Quarters and additional buildings on the lots behind.
A market crash in 1837 caused financial setbacks to Mr. Hermann and he was forced to sell the house, his slaves and other property in bankruptcy. Mrs. Hermann was able to purchase the house and slaves back from the creditors with her own separate funds but ultimately had to sell the house and slaves in 1844. Mr. and Mrs. Hermann continued to live in the French Quarter until their deaths.