NOTE: In this brief historical sketch, "Texian" is used to refer to citizens of the Republic of Texas, which was an independent country from 1836 to 1845. "Texan" is used to refer to citizens of the current state of Texas, which is one of the 50 United States of America.

When you have finished this section of our web site, we invite you to tour the Legation. Or see what's new in Austin's oldest home.

Julia Robertson's painting of the Mansion of the Legation in 1858.
© The French Legation Museum

In 1839 the government of King Louis Philippe of France sent a representative to the fledgling Republic of Texas to determine whether it should be officially recognized as a new country. The representative, a secretary at the French Legation in Washington, D.C., quickly recognized that Texas could be a source for France's sparse cotton supply, and convinced his superiors to sign a Treaty of Amity, Navigation, and Commerce between France and Texas. This treaty, signed on September 25, 1839, recognized the Republic of Texas as an independent nation, and the secretary, Monsieur Jean Pierre Isidore Dubois, was assigned to be the chargé d'affaires of the new French Legation in Texas.

Monsieur Dubois had perhaps been less than honest with his superiors, for during his month-long stay in Texas he claimed to have visited both San Antonio and Nacogdoches (a major feat, given the roads of the time) and completely neglected to mention his vacation in New Orleans. By the time he reached Austin in September, 1840, Monsieur Dubois had added "de Saligny" to his name and had declared himself a Count.

Austin in 1840 was a town of unpaved streets and log cabins. The new French chargé d'affaires did not get on well with the inhabitants, and complained incessantly of the living conditions he was forced to share with them. The sentiment was mutual, for the locals were not impressed with this foreign dignitary and accused him of passing counterfeit bills and of not paying his debts. Dubois de Saligny insisted on living in the most lavish style he could contrive, seeking to impress the Texians with the power and wealth of France. He also campaigned to push through the acceptance of the Franco-Texian Bill of 1841, which would create a corporation to explore and settle West Texas, importing 5,000 French colonists within eight years. Despite his efforts, the bill was never passed.

 The Pig War

Even as Dubois de Saligny was trying to push through the Franco-Texian Bill, he was involved in less friendly relations on another front. The innkeeper Richard Bullock, who lived a few blocks from the Frenchman's rented quarters on the corner of Pecan Street (now Sixth Street) and Guadalupe, kept several pigs which he allowed to roam freely through the town. The pigs soon discovered a store of tasty corn in Dubois de Saligny's stables, and made a determined effort to take down the fence, necessitating daily repairs.

Finally, Dubois de Saligny ordered his servant Pluyette to kill any pigs that entered his yard. The exact number of animals that were destroyed by this order is uncertain. Dubois admitted to killing five or six pigs; Bullock claimed that the count was between fifteen and twenty-five. On February 19, 1841, the Pig War broke out when Bullock and Pluyette came to blows on the street. Dubois de Saligny wrote an angry letter to James Mayfield, the Texas Secretary of State, demanding government protection for Pluyette.

Although Mayfield regretted Bullock's actions, he insisted that the matter belonged in a court of law. The matter came to trial on February 22, 1841. Dubois de Saligny refused to allow Pluyette to testify, claiming that a foreign national should not be subject to a Texas court. Bullock was released on bail until the next session of the District Court, to be held in November.

Dubois de Saligny wrote more letters to Secretary Mayfield, protesting Bullock's release. Matters came to a head on March 24, when the chargé d'affaires of the French government in Texas attempted to pay a visit to the chargé d'affaires of the United States government in Texas. Unfortunately for Dubois de Saligny, the representative of the United States lived in the inn owned by Bullock, and Bullock refused to let Dubois de Saligny enter the building. After an argument, the Frenchman retreated.

By this time, the Texians were siding with Bullock. Persistent stories of Dubois de Saligny's paying a teamster with counterfeit money upon his arrival in Austin and of his plans to profit enormously from the Franco-Texian Bill, added to his demands that Bullock be punished without due process of law, finally led Secretary Mayfield to write a letter to George McIntosh, the Texas chargé d'affaires in Paris, ordering him to ask for the recall of Dubois de Saligny. The letter was written on April 8, 1841. On April 29, Dubois de Saligny left Austin, never to return.

Monsieur Jean Pierre Dubois de Saligny may never have lived in the house that we know as the French Legation. According to the information available, the property was purchased in September 1840, construction probably began in December of that year, and it was completed in the middle of 1841. Nevertheless, the house was built according to his orders and was designed to provide a magnificent setting for lavish dinner parties and entertainments. His servants remained in Austin after his departure, preparing furnishings and provisions worthy of a foreign dignitary's residence.

When the seat of Texas government moved from Austin in 1842, the house fell on hard times and was abandoned for several years. In 1847, after the annexation of Texas to the United States, the mansion of the former Legation of France was sold to Moseley Baker, a hero of the Texas Revolution. He sold it the next year to Dr. Joseph W. Robertson. Robertson envisioned the site as the location of a school for girls, to be run by his friends C.W. and Maria Howell. However, the school was closed after one or two semesters and Dr. Robertson moved his family into the house.

Joseph and Lydia Lee Robertson raised eleven children, including Dr. Robertson's son from his first marriage, in the house on "Robertson Hill." Sarah, the fifth child of John and Lydia Robertson, was the first to be born in the house, in 1850, and the last to die there, in 1940. Sarah's older sister, Julia Robertson, painted a charming picture of the home as it existed in 1858, when she was twelve. The painting still hangs in the girls' bedroom at the French Legation Museum. It was Lillie Robertson, born in the house in 1855, and living there continuously until her death in 1939, who did the most to keep the memory of the old French Legation alive. As an early member of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, she was active in maintaining the nearby State Cemetery and she often gave tours of her home, which she and many other Austinites called "The French Embassy."

 The French Legation Museum

When Sarah Robertson Smith passed away in 1940, the Daughters of the Republic of Texas were not able to raise the funds to purchase the home as they wished. Eventually, the Robertson heirs came to an agreement with the State of Texas, and the house and lands were sold to the state in 1949. Under the auspices of Mrs. Walter Prescott Webb, the property was placed under the custodianship of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, who have operated the site as the French Legation Museum since 1956. Plans were drawn up and restoration of the property began in 1953.

The French Legation Museum as it exists today represents a conscientious effort to return to details authentic to the time of the earlier building, although only three pieces of furniture, an armchair and settee in the parlor and a table in the kitchen, originally belonged to Dubois de Saligny. Many pieces remain from the Robertson family's ownership of the home. The reconstructed French country kitchen is notable for its extensive nineteenth-century equipment. Gardens and outdoor plantings added in the 1950's, although not authentic to the bare "swept yards" of early Texas, provide the twentieth-century visitor to the Museum with a refreshing oasis of green in a busy city.

Come Visit Us

We invite you to tour the Museum and grounds when you are in Austin. Hours are 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday (last tour begins at 4:00). The French Legation Museum is located at 802 San Marcos Street. Call (512) 472-8180 for more information.

Hours & Location  News & Events  Contact Us  Education  Tour

Gift Shop  Rental  Weddings  Membership  Support  History  Resources & Links