One Of The Most Unique Barns In America Can Be Found Right Here In Oregon
By Catherine Armstrong|Published August 04, 2018
×
Catherine Armstrong
Author
Writer, editor and researcher with a passion for exploring new places. Catherine loves local bookstores, independent films, and spending time with her family, including Gus the golden retriever, who is a very good boy.
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.
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.
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.
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.
