The Louisiana Supreme Court has moved its controversial portrait of Ernest Benjamin Kruttschnitt (1852-1906) from its longtime location on a wall by the entry to the courtroom to the mezzanine level where no one goes. If I may editorialize for a moment: This is no way treat a man who was a major driving force […]
History No Longer So Kind to Ernest Kruttschnitt
When New Orleans lawyer Ernest Benjamin Kruttschnitt died in 1906, praise came from all quarters. A partner in one of the city’s most illustrious law firms, Kruttschnitt (1852-1906) had tried many of the most important cases of his time. A long-time president of the New Orleans School Board, he twice turned down opportunities to become […]
Hidden Evidence Proves the Kruttschnitts Did Actually Live in Tucson House
By the time Patti Toci and her husband bought the Julius Kruttschnitt, Jr. house in Tucson, previous owners had taken virtually everything the family had left behind. Then, one day in the 1960s, a remodeling crew opened a plaster wall and discovered a small piece of uncrumpled paper behind the lathe. “It was a receipt,” […]
Ernest’s Butler Still Haunts His New Orleans Home
I couldn’t figure out why the picture on the brochure advertising ghost tours of the Garden District in New Orleans looked familiar. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks–that’s my long-lost uncle Ernest Kruttschnitt’s house on the cover. The home, which is currently used as a boarding house, and apparently is for sale […]
Peninah Benjamin Kruttschnitt Died in a Big House in the Garden District
Peninah Benjamin Kruttschnitt died on April 18, 1903, at her son Ernest’s home, according to her obituary in the Times Picayune. Remarkably, the stately residence at 1423 First Street is still standing, and it’s in very good condition. In fact, the eclectic house, with its Classical columns and Palladian windows, is one of the most beautiful […]
Johannes Kruttschnitt Was a 19th-Century Renaissance Man
Born in Brenz, Germany, Johannes Kruttschnitt came to this country in 1837, seeking (what else?) fame and fortune. He achieved both. A successful merchant, a published scientist, a civic leader, and the father of highly accomplished children, Kruttschnitt rose to become one the best-known, most-respected men in New Orleans in the late 19th Century. “Despite his modesty and self-seclusion, few […]