National Register of Historic Places

Pelota Fronton

Jordan Valley, Malheur County, Oregon
Listed
May 18, 1972
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
72001084

About this property

The Pelota Fronton is a Basque pelota ball court and landmark in Jordan Valley, Oregon, United States. The court was built in 1915 and finished in 1917. It was last used regularly in 1935. This was caused by the Taylor Grazing Act of 1934. Jordan Valley had numerous Basque immigrants who came to herd sheep. After the act passed, the court gradually lost usage, and it started falling into disrepair over a span of roughly 4 decades. In 1972, the court was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1997, the court underwent a full renovation. Restoration included installation of a covered interpretive sign and a stone representation of the Zazpiak Bat, the coat of arms for the seven Basque provinces. A sign reads: “Jordan Valley Ko Frontoia restored 1997 danok etorri” in recognition of the inauguration of the restored pelota fronton in September 1997. In Jordan Valley games, the wicker racket, or cesta, is not used. To this day, the court remains a symbol of Basque culture in the region. National Register of Historic Places listings in Malheur County, Oregon Media related to Pelota Fronton at Wikimedia Commons National Register of Historic Places photographic file

Location

Jordan Valley, Malheur County, Oregon
42.97292, -117.05181

Categories

ENTERTAINMENT/RECREATIONHISPANICARCHITECTURESOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Charbonneau,Jean Baptiste, Memorial and Inskip Station RuinS
Industrial
16.3 mi
Sheep Ranch Fortified House
Industrial
25.3 mi
Birch Creek Ranch Historic Rural Landscape
Listed
28.7 mi

Nearby Battles

Owyhee River Fight — Jordan Valley
1866Indian Wars
0.8 mi
Snake War — Battle of Owyhee River (1866)
1866Indian Wars
1.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Pelota Fronton listed on the National Register?

Pelota Fronton was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 18, 1972.

What type of historic resource is Pelota Fronton?

Pelota Fronton is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Pelota Fronton?

The period of significance for Pelota Fronton is recorded as the industrial era.

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