Eternal flame in Columbus was supposed to last forever. So why is it covered up now?
An eternal flame was dedicated at the south side of the Columbus Government Center on May 23, 1991, the Thursday before that year’s Memorial Day in the city considered as the birthplace of the holiday, dating to 1866.
The dedication plaque for the eternal flame proclaims, “May this eternal flame burn forever in memory of those brave and patriotic members of the armed forces who sacrificed so much to ensure the freedom of our great nation.”
“Forever” lasted 33 years.
The eternal flame and other memorials around the Government Center have been put in storage or covered since construction of the city’s Judicial Center started this spring.
“The stone on one of the memorials (the eternal flame) was damaged, and out of respect and to respond to questions, a tarp was put over the stone until a plan can be developed,” Columbus deputy city manager Pam Hodge told the Ledger-Enquirer in an email. “All memorials, eternal flame, etc. will be reinstalled on the Judicial Center site or other location if approved.”
But that construction project is on the north side of the Government Center, which still is being used and whose tower isn’t supposed to be demolished until the Judicial Center opens. And the public still has access to the south side of the Government Center, so why is the eternal flame memorial covered by a tarp now?
“Most of the memorials were on the north side of the property, so out of an abundance of caution, all of the memorials were decommissioned and put in storage,” Hodge said.
This story was originally published June 24, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
