Pete French Round Barn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Pete French Round Barn
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Barn in 2013
Location	Harney County, Oregon
Nearest city	Burns
Area	5 acres (2.0 ha)
Built	c. 1875-1885
Architectural style	Round barn
NRHP reference No.	71000679
Added to NRHP	September 10, 1971

The Pete French Round Barn is a special building near Burns, Oregon, in the United States. It's a round barn, which means it's shaped like a circle! This barn is so important that it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A cattle rancher named Peter French built it in the late 1800s. He used it to train horses, especially during the cold winter months. The barn became a nationally recognized historic place on September 10, 1971.

A Look Back: The Barn's History

A historical photo of the Pete French Round Barn.

This unique round barn was built a long time ago, probably between the late 1870s and early 1880s. Can you imagine? There used to be two, or maybe even three, of these round barns in the area. But this one is the only one left today.

These barns were super important for training horses. Ranchers would bring hundreds, sometimes even a thousand, horses through the barn each year. It was a busy place, especially in winter, when the horses needed a warm, indoor space to learn.

In 1969, the French family, who owned the barn, gave it to the state of Oregon. This made sure the barn would be protected and enjoyed by everyone for years to come.

How the Barn Was Built: Its Design

Inside the Pete French Round Barn, you can see the large juniper post in the middle and the wooden supports.

The Pete French Round Barn has a really cool design. The inside part of the barn has a round wall made from local rocks and mud. This wall creates a central area where the horses were kept.

The rest of the barn is built from wood. This lumber had to be brought all the way from 60 miles north! What makes the inside even more special are the juniper tree posts that hold up the roof. Juniper trees are common in the area.

Around the outside of the rock wall, there's a covered circular track. This track was perfect for exercising horses when the weather outside was bad. It allowed them to stay active even in winter. The barn still looks very much like it did when Peter French first built it!

Roth, Leland "Peter French Round Barn"..