Advertisement

Oregon Attractions

One Of The Most Unique Barns In America Can Be Found Right Here In Oregon

By Catherine Armstrong | Published August 04, 2018

Oregonians tend to color outside the lines. While we can appreciate long-standing tradition and design, we sometimes like to do things a bit differently. There’s a beautiful, historic barn near Burns that was quite innovative for its time, and you can see it at the Peter French Round Barn State Heritage Site.

You'll find the Pete French Round Barn State Heritage Site at 51955 Lava Bed Rd., Diamond, Oregon, 97722. It might not seem like an old barn would be worth a visit, but once you see this beautiful, historic barn, and learn about its history, you'll see why this is a trip worth taking.

Pete French moved into the area in 1872 to set up a cattle ranch. Within several years, he had staked out 140,000 acres and acquired more than 45,000 head of cattle. He built the round barn in the early 1880s.

Advertisement

The barn was constructed with a rock and mud wall that enclosed the stable area. The circular design had recently gained popularity in the West and it was used primarily to break horses during the cold, windy, winter months.

Advertisement

French's ranch was so large that he needed lots of horses to wrangle his cattle. Around 300 horses were foaled every year, and though some were sold, most were kept as working ranch horses.

In addition to the stone walls and timbers lining the exterior, the roof is supported with lumber that had to be hauled from 60 miles away.

Tall juniper posts support the ceiling, including one large, 30-foot-tall post in the very center of the roof.

Pete French used some interesting (and often illegal) means to gain the land for his ranch, and along the way, he made many enemies. On December 26, 1897, he was shot and killed by another local rancher with whom he'd had a boundary dispute.

The barn and surrounding two acres is now managed by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. Learn more about Pete French and the history of this unique barn. It's open year-round and is free to visit.

To learn more about this unique barn, visit the Oregon State Parks website.

If you love Oregon’s historic places, you’ll want to check out what’s inside the walls of this historic fort.

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Featured Addresses

51955 Lava Bed Rd., Diamond, Oregon, 97722