This former US army outpost, dating from 1846, is named for Jacob Brown, who died here that year fighting the Mexicans. Flooding forced an 1868 relocation to the site, where several buildings still stand. They have been restored and are now used by the shared campus of University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College. It's still possible to see the 1868 post hospital (now Gorgas Hall), 1882 chapel, 1904 commissary and the 1850 Neale Home. Historical markers detail the background of each.
Earthworks of the original fort can be seen from the parking lot of the Fort Brown Memorial Golf Course just over the levee. Look for the cannon beyond the driving range, which marks the site.