CLEAR LAKE, Iowa (AP) — A north-central Iowa venue best known for hosting the last concert of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson before the trio died in a 1959 plane crash is now a National Historic Landmark. The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs announced in a release Friday that the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake had earned the designation from the U.S. Department of the Interior.

National Historic Landmarks are buildings, sites, districts, structures and objects that have been determined to be nationally significant in American history and culture. The ballroom’s nomination was officially approved on Jan. 13.