Lafittes Blacksmith Shop

Title

Lafittes Blacksmith Shop

Artist

David Morefield

Medium

Photograph - Photo

Description

Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop is said to be the oldest bar in the United States. Built between 1722 and 1732, the structure served as the headquarters of smuggling operation of the Jean and Pierre Lafitte. The property was owned by the family of Simon Duruche aka Castillon and privateer Captain Rene Beluche. Located at ST. Phillip and Bourbon Street, the bar served as a neutral ground for the Lafitte brothers to secretly meet with their customers, many of them who lived blocks away on Royal Street.
Jean Lafitte was a French Pirate and privateer in the Gulf of Mexico. Operating a smuggler’s port in Barataria Bay, the Lafitte brothers were very successful. Jean Lafitte tired to warn Barataria of a coming British attack, but the American authorities successfully invaded Lafitte’s operation and captured most of his fleet. When Andrew Jackson arrived in New Orleans in 1814, he discovered that the city was poorly defended and although they had Lafitte’s captured ships, they did not have enough trained sailors to mount a defense. Lafitte’s men refused to man their former ships under the command of Andrew Jackson, so General Jackson met with Jean Lafitte to see if they could come to a deal.
With an agreement that Jackson would give pardon to Lafitte and his men, Lafitte helped General Andrew Jackson defend New Orleans against the British in 1815. Lafitte was able to find enough sailors to man all of his former ships and form 3 artillery companies. During the ensuing battle, Lafitte’s men earned the resect of all that served and Andre Jackson kept his word to get them a pardon for their prior actions.
Later, the Lafittes were spies for the Spanish during the Mexican War of Independence and they moved operations to Galveston, Texas where they developed the pirate colony known as Campeche. When Lafitte was threatened by the U.S. Navy, he agreed to leave Galveston peacefully and burned his headquarters before sailing south. Lafitte operated as a pirate in the waters of Cuba, Honduras and eventually became commissioned in the Columbian Navy. Many rumors abound regarding his death, but one thing we do know is that he is deceased by now.

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April 12th, 2014

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