“X” Marks the Spot: Research Led by Texas A&M University at Galveston Researchers Seeks to Find Scientific Treasure Below the Surface of Notorious Pirate’s former residence
A multidisciplinary team looks to uncover secrets left behind at Jean Lafitte’s Maison Rouge
In pirate parlance, “X” usually indicates the location of a treasure on a map.
For graduate and undergraduate students at Texas A&M University at Galveston, “X” may represent a significant spot where they can learn new insights about Galveston history, particularly at the site of the former home of one of the island’s most infamous residents.
On May 4, Dr. Timothy Dellapenna, Professor, Marine and Coastal Environmental Science College of Marine Sciences & Maritime Studies, Texas A&M University at Galveston, in collaboration with the Department of Maritime Studies, will collect soil core samples at Maison Rouge, the former home of Jean Lafitte. While stories of the exploits of Jean Lafitte have been told for generations, this marks the first-time that core soil samples will be taken from the site of the home of the man nicknamed “The Terror of the Gulf.” Far from being an act of piracy, the sampling represents a collaborative effort crossing numerous fields.
“This is an interdisciplinary collaboration providing MARS and MAST students with how geology plays a role in understanding the contextualization of archaeological field work,” said Kristin Jøsvoll, Instructional Associate Professor in Museum Studies, Internship Coordinator, Department of Maritime Studies at Texas A&M University at Galveston. “This field sampling will also be the first-time archaeological soil sampling like this has happened in Galveston, providing a baseline for future archaeological work on the Island.”
Following the core soil sampling on May 1, the team from Texas A&M University and LX Heritage will conduct a multi-week field school at Maison Rouge beginning on May 10. Funding for the field school came from Urgent Care of Galveston, which contributed $15,000 to help unearth the secrets beneath the surface. A community day will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 23 to provide an opportunity for the team to share their findings.
The soil sampling at Maison Rouge follows excavation work performed by archaeologists, and students from Texas A&M University at Galveston and LX in January 2026. The January work uncovered items from various historical eras, including possible U.S. Civil War artifacts and remnants from the 1900 Galveston Storm. Based on the impacts of Hurricane Ike on the island, more recent artifacts were also discovered at the site.
While some research on Galveston Island has been conducted previously in the 1970s and 1990s, it was on the west end of the island, outside of the historical city boundary. The upcoming soil sampling will be the first recorded complete archaeological core analysis performed in the oldest part of the city of Galveston.
“This will give us a complete picture of the history of the island, including an analysis of the impact of storms and hurricanes, and changes in the landscape of the island,” Jøsvoll said.
In addition to being the home of an island legend, the site of the sampling is considered scientifically significant based on it being the highest portion of the island, at the time of early European exploration. Just as the location of Maison Rouge provided Lafitte with an upper hand, researchers are also expecting to see benefits from the location. The fact that early settlers often sought out the high ground, the area being explored was likely frequently occupied by many different groups of people before the founding of the city of Galveston provides a unique opportunity for researchers to potentially uncover centuries of island history in a single spot.
“It is rare to get this type of opportunity for such longitudinal study in an urban setting, where construction efforts, previous buildings, and infrastructure often make it impossible to gather this data,” said Annaliese Dempsey, Ph.D. candidate, Nautical Archaeology Program, Anthropology Department, Texas A&M University.
Facing an ultimatum to surrender to U.S. forces in 1821, Jean Lafitte torched Maison Rouge and the surrounding compound before fleeing Galveston Island to evade capture. Although little remains of the structure, beneath the surface, countless scientific riches are waiting to be unearthed at Maison Rouge, where “X” really does mark the spot for scientific discovery.
