Steamboat House, Historic house in New Iberia, US

Steamboat House, also known as the Emmer-Hughes House, is a Victorian-style house built in 1896 in New Iberia, Louisiana. Its design includes rounded bays, curved walls and French windows that give it the look of a steamboat. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The house was built in 1896 for John Emmer, a farmer, real estate investor and brickyard owner who was mayor of New Iberia from 1889 to 1891. His daughter and son-in-law George Lebau, president of the New Iberia National Bank, inherited it in 1903 and lived there until 1937. That year it was acquired by Paul N. Cyr, Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana from 1928 to 1931. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 27, 1979.

The house served as a gathering place for notable figures in Louisiana's social and political circles, shaping local cultural traditions. It reflects how mansions functioned as centers of public life during the late 1800s.

The building sits on a main street in central New Iberia and is straightforward to locate by foot. Visitors should plan to view the architectural features from the exterior, as interior access depends on current opening arrangements.

The house is also known as the Emmer-Hughes House, a name that pairs its builder with a later owner. John Emmer, who commissioned it in 1896, ran a brickyard in addition to farming and real estate, and served as New Iberia's mayor from 1889 to 1891.