A French drain, sometimes referred to as a subsurface drain or weeping tile, is a ditch with a gravel- or stone-filled perforated pipe. Its purpose is to collect groundwater and redirect it away from your property so that it doesn't accumulate in unwanted areas. In the early nineteenth century, Massachusetts farmer Henry French developed the concept of a French drain. https://texasgardenmaterials.com/landscape-design-houston-tx/french-drain-installation-houston-tx/