Pete French Round Barn
Encyclopedia
The Pete French Round Barn, located near Burns
, Oregon
, United States
, is a round barn
listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. The late 19th century barn was owned and constructed by cattle rancher Peter French
; French trained horse
s there during the winter. The barn was listed on the National Register on September 10, 1971.
The French family donated the site to the state of Oregon in 1969.
The interior of the barn is constructed from lumber that was hauled to the site from 60 miles to the north. The interior is unique in that it is made from juniper
posts. The center was used as a stable
; outside that, there is a covered circular track, that was used to exercise horses during winter months. The barn looks much as it did when cattleman Pete French constructed it.
Burns, Oregon
Burns is a city in and the county seat of Harney County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 2,806.-History:Burns was established in the early 1880s and incorporated upon Harney county's creation in 1889...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, is a round barn
Round barn
A round barn is a historic barn design that could be octagonal, polygonal, or circular in plan. Though round barns were not as popular as some other barn designs, their unique shape makes them noticeable. The years from 1880–1920 represent the height of round barn construction. Round barn...
listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The late 19th century barn was owned and constructed by cattle rancher Peter French
Peter French
Peter French was a rancher in the western United States in the late 19th century. The community of Frenchglen, Oregon was partially named for him.-Early life:...
; French trained horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s there during the winter. The barn was listed on the National Register on September 10, 1971.
History
This round barn was constructed sometime in the late 1870s or early 1880s. There were originally two—or possibly three—in the vicinity, but this is the only round barn remaining. They were used to break horses during the winter. Three hundred to one thousand horses were moved through each year.The French family donated the site to the state of Oregon in 1969.
Design
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the...
posts. The center was used as a stable
Stable
A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals...
; outside that, there is a covered circular track, that was used to exercise horses during winter months. The barn looks much as it did when cattleman Pete French constructed it.