Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar

One of the oldest buildings in the U.S. still serving drinks, dating to the 1720s. The Lafitte brothers ran their smuggling operation out of here under the cover of a blacksmith shop.

Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop stands at the corner of Bourbon and St. Philip Streets, a candlelit tavern housed in one of the oldest structures in New Orleans. Built around 1722, this rare surviving example of French colonial briquette-entre-poteaux construction has served many purposes over three centuries -- but its most notorious use was as a front for the privateering operations of Jean and Pierre Lafitte, the pirate brothers who would become unlikely heroes of the Battle of New Orleans.

The Lafitte brothers operated in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico during the early 1800s, preying on Spanish ships and selling their plundered goods through a network of smuggling operations. Pierre Lafitte was a blacksmith by trade, and this building -- which may have been owned by their associate Renato Beluche -- provided the perfect cover for their illicit activities. Behind the legitimate facade of a smithy, the brothers conducted business that would make them both wealthy and wanted men.

Jean Lafitte's story took a turn during the War of 1812. Though local authorities had attempted to shut down his privateering camp, Lafitte offered his services to General Andrew Jackson and proved instrumental in the American victory at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815. For his patriotism, he received a full pardon. But neither pardon nor time has released his spirit from this building.

The ghost of Jean Lafitte is the most frequently reported presence at the bar that bears his name. Unlike many spectral figures, he appears solid enough to be mistaken for a living person until he vanishes. Witnesses describe him standing in dark corners, particularly near the fireplace on the first floor, staring silently at patrons until someone notices him. He's never spoken a word to anyone. He simply watches, then disappears into the shadows.

The fireplace itself harbors a different, more menacing presence. Local legend holds that Lafitte's treasure remains hidden within the bricks of the tavern, guarded by something that doesn't welcome curiosity. Those who peer too closely into the fireplace grate have reported seeing a pair of glowing red eyes staring back at them from the darkness -- eyes that some visitors describe as demonic in nature.

A third ghost haunts the second floor: the spirit of a woman whose identity remains unknown. Some say she was a resident in the 1890s who took her own life upstairs, though this can't be verified. Her presence is felt rather than seen, a feminine energy that lingers in the upper rooms of the building.

The atmosphere of Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop enhances every encounter. The bar operates almost entirely by candlelight -- there's no electricity in most of the building. Brick masonry lies exposed, floorboards creak underfoot, and window shutters hang askew. Visitors feel sudden icy drafts in spots where there's no ventilation, catch the smell of tobacco smoke when no one's smoking, and hear sounds that seem to come from nowhere and everywhere at once.

The building was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1970, recognition of its architectural and historical significance. But for the thousands who visit each year, Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop offers something beyond history -- a chance to drink in the same space where pirates once plotted, and where at least one pirate has never left.