This commercial building was constructed in 1806 by Pedro Front and Francisco Juncadelia, immigrants from Barcelona Spain. These brothers operated the building as a storefront for their trade business for the next 40 years.

Local legend states that the second floor of the building was used as a meeting place between General Andrew Jackson and notorious pirate Jean Lafitte prior to the 1815 Battle of New Orleans.

That same year, the first floor was converted into a restaurant called "Aleix's Coffee House." It was here in 1874 that mixologist Cayetano Ferrer created the famous Absinthe House Frappe and the name of the establishment was officially changed.

The Absinthe House soon became one of the most popular locations in New Orleans and played host to many celebrities of the day including including Oscar Wilde, P.T. Barnum, Mark Twain, Enrico Caruso, and General Robert E Lee. The building was nearly destroyed in 1920 at the onset of prohibition, but the historic bar was saved.

The establishment operated from a different location on Bourbon Street until 2004 when it was returned to its original home.