History of the French Legation

The French Legation is one of the oldest surviving structures in Austin, and the oldest in Texas built for diplomatic purposes. It is the home ground of the Legation Boules Club.

A Diplomat, a New Nation, and a House in Austin

In 1839, France became one of the first nations to formally recognize the Republic of Texas as a sovereign country. Two years later, the French government sent Alphonse Dubois de Saligny to Austin as chargé d'affaires — a diplomat charged with representing French interests in the new republic.

Unable to find a suitable existing home in the young capital city, Dubois hired local builders to construct one. The result was a modest but elegant French Colonial house, completed in 1841 on a hill east of Congress Avenue. It served as the official French Legation to the Republic of Texas — one of the few foreign diplomatic missions the republic ever hosted.

The timing proved short-lived. By December 1841, the capital had moved from Austin back to Houston, and the legation's diplomatic function faded with it.

The Robertson Family

In 1848, Dr. Joseph W. Robertson purchased the property. He, his wife, their eleven children, and nine enslaved workers made it their home. The house remained in the Robertson family for generations.

Dr. Robertson's daughter, Lillie, lived in the house her entire life. In her later years she opened it to visitors, offering informal tours of what she called the "Old French Embassy" — keeping the story of the building alive through her own memory and storytelling.

After Lillie's death, the State of Texas acquired the property. The Daughters of the Republic of Texas (DRT) were appointed as custodians, and in 1956 they opened the French Legation to the public as a historic site.

From the DRT to the Texas Historical Commission

For decades the Daughters of the Republic of Texas maintained the site. In 2017, the Texas legislature transferred the French Legation to the Texas Historical Commission (THC), effective September 1 of that year. Governor Greg Abbott signed House Bill 3810 on June 12, 2017.

Concurrent with the transfer, the state allocated $1.56 million in emergency deferred maintenance funds to address the most pressing structural problems — the beginning of a larger restoration effort.

The Legation Today

The French Legation is currently undergoing historic preservation work. Once restoration is complete, it will formally join the network of state historic sites operated by the Texas Historical Commission.

The grounds remain meaningful to the Legation Boules Club — pétanque has been played here since 1999, and the French connection between the game and the site has always felt like more than coincidence.

For more information, visit the Texas Historical Commission at thc.texas.gov