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 once housed 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, builders constructed a new structure over Maison Rouge’s old cellars and foundations. Today, that building is also in ruins. A Texas Historical marker designates the site, and it is located in Galveston, Texas.
©Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated October 2026.
Also See:
Forts & Presidios Across America
See Sources.