Veterans, County Plan Courthouse Memorial Redesign Featuring Tuffstone, Eternal Flame

Veterans and county facilities staff have launched a coordinated effort to replace and improve the aging war memorial on the east side of the Baker County Courthouse at Third Street and Washington Avenue. The project, led by Rusty Little, a former commander of the Baker City VFW post, responds to visible deterioration of the site and aims to preserve the memorial’s brass name plaques while updating the setting and infrastructure.

County staff documented problems with the existing memorial, including crumbling stone, missing or inoperable fixtures, and the absence of a convenient power outlet. The repair and redesign proposal calls for restoring locally significant tuffstone elements, upgrading lighting, installing an operational eternal flame and a new flagpole, adding seating and creating a roofed area to provide shelter and a dignified place for reflection. Organizers said the brass plaques honoring fallen Baker County service members would be retained and integrated into the new design.

The effort brings together veterans, county facilities personnel and the county’s contract grant writer to develop designs and prepare for external funding. The Oregon Heritage Program, part of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, can fund up to 80 percent of costs for memorial construction and renovation; the next grant cycle opens Nov. 1, 2026. Project leaders are using the intervening months to refine plans, estimate costs and solicit community input to strengthen a future grant application.

Public engagement is central to the plan. Organizers intend to hold a public meeting at the memorial to gather ideas from residents and veterans about design priorities and how best to honor local service members. The meeting will focus on practical issues residents raise most often in courthouse-square discussions: accessibility, durability in Baker County’s climate, and how the memorial can function as a site for ceremonies and everyday remembrance.

Residents who want to contribute ideas can contact the project coordinator through the Baker County Facilities Department at the Baker County Courthouse, Third Street and Washington Avenue, or by reaching out to the county’s contract grant writer. Submissions offered now will inform design options and the grant application slated for the 2026 cycle.

For Baker County, the redesign represents more than a construction project; it is an institutional effort to maintain a visible and safe space for public memory on the courthouse grounds. Successful grant funding and thoughtful community input will determine how the courthouse east plaza looks and functions for years to come, including how the county balances heritage materials like tuffstone with modern safety and access standards.