Fort Mason Rouge, Texas.
Fort Maison Rouge, Texas, was the home and citadel of pirates Jean and Pierre Laffite, situated on the Gulf Coast.
Built in 1817, the block-long site was once armed with 36-pound cannons inside and a battery of 42-pounders outside. Jean Lafitte’s home was luxuriously furnished with booty from captured ships. The pirates, however, were run out in 1821, but before leaving, they burned their homes, buildings, and the fort itself, before sailing to Yucatan. What was left was destroyed by a hurricane in the 1800s.
Jean Lafitte, pirate.
In 1870, a new structure was built over Maison Rouge’s old cellars and foundations. Today, that building, too, is in ruins. The site is designated by a Texas Historical marker and is located in Galveston, Texas.
©Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated May 2025.
Also See:
Forts & Presidios Across America
See Sources.