Lafittes Blacksmith Shop
by Susan Rissi Tregoning
Title
Lafittes Blacksmith Shop
Artist
Susan Rissi Tregoning
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
The building that houses Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop was built somewhere between 1722 and 1732. It is reputed to be the oldest structure used as a bar in the United States.
The structure's slate roof is credited for it surviving this long. It made it thought two great fires at the turn of the 19th Century.
According to New Orleans legends, the property is believed to have been used by the Lafitte Brothers, Jean and Pierre as a New Orleans base for their smuggling operation between 1772 and 1791. The legend is based on the fact that the property was owned by the family of Simon Duroche AKA Castillon and the wily privateer Captain Rene Beluche. Captain Beluche commanded his ship "Spy" in Lafitte's Baratarian fleet. It is unlikely that a wealthy Creole would agree to meet at home but the corner of Bourbon and St. Phillip was probably regarded as a safe and convenient neutral ground.
Copyright 2018 Susan Rissi Tregoning
Uploaded
September 22nd, 2018
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