ARCHBALD — A project to build a veterans memorial park on Kennedy Drive continues to take shape.
Borough council voted Wednesday to award a $169,900 COSTARS contract to D&M Construction for the next phase of work on the Archbald Borough Veterans Monument Park, borough Manager Dan Markey said. Work under the new phase — Phase 3B — will involve pouring concrete pads for the entrance to the pavilion, monuments, military equipment, statues and flagpoles at the park, as well as installing tile footers on the left side of the park’s monument wall to hold black granite tiles honoring veterans, Markey said.
So far, Archbald has a combined $401,643 in funding for the project from two Local Share Account grants, and the committee behind the project is seeking additional grants.
The Archbald Borough Veterans Monument Park on Friday, June 20, 2025. (FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY / STAFF PHOTO)
The Archbald Borough Veterans Monument Park on Friday, June 20, 2025. (FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY / STAFF PHOTO)
The Archbald Borough Veterans Monument Park on Friday, June 20, 2025. (FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY / STAFF PHOTO)
The monument park project began in 2016 as a group of volunteers aiming to build a park honoring United States veterans, both living and deceased, on 2 acres of land donated by Lockheed Martin along Kennedy Drive across from Maria Boulevard. Once complete, the park will feature a sprawling stone wall lined with nearly 500 black granite tiles etched with the names, photos, awards and service information of veterans.
Surrounding the wall, the park will have a pavilion with picnic tables, patriotic bronze statues handcrafted through partnerships with Keystone College and Marywood University, flagpoles, a black granite obelisk, black granite markers with insignias for the six military branches, pavers and several pieces of decommissioned military equipment, including an iconic helicopter.
Work on the new phase should start within the next month, Markey said. Borough officials hope to complete the phase by the end of the summer.
Most recently, crews put up a pavilion on the site a few months ago, he said.
“Right now, things are kind of in limbo until we get these pads taken care of,” Markey said.
Notably, crews will pour a large keystone-shaped pad for a monument, said park committee chairman and retired Army Major Rob Turlip. The keystone will feature three flagpoles, a black granite obelisk topped by a bronze bald eagle, as well as black granite markers with insignias for the six military branches and granite benches, he said. Crews will also pour pads for statues and decommissioned military equipment, which include an M60 tank and a Vulcan antiaircraft gun, he said.
As a new addition to the park, Turlip said they secured a decommissioned Black Hawk helicopter that will be donated by Lockheed Martin. Turlip initially hoped to have the helicopter placed on top of the wall, but now, it will be on the right side of it. Because there aren’t many decommissioned Black Hawks, Turlip said he believes the city of Chicago is the only other town to have one on display.
Turlip did not have a time frame for the helicopter, but the other pieces of military equipment are ready to be delivered, he said. The concrete will need to sit for at least 30 days before they can place the equipment on it, he said.
The National Guard will deliver the decommissioned items to the park when it’s ready, he said.
Turlip hopes to have the monument placed on the keystone in September, with the first granite tiles also going up on the wall in the fall. The first half of the wall will hold about 210 tiles, he said.
Each tile is 18 by 12 inches and costs $500. Tiles are designed by appointment, and it takes about two hours to design each tile, Turlip said. The process involves going through each veteran’s military records, researching them — especially for deceased veterans — and explaining their medals and service information to their loved ones who order a tile, Turlip said.
“Each has its own little design and uniqueness to it,” he said.
To order a tile, call Turlip at 570-877-2338.