History of the Baker Tower
Tallest building east of the Cascades. Art Deco bones. Community roots. Still working hard for Baker City.
A Community-Built Landmark (1929)
In the late 1920s, Baker's civic leaders backed a modern "community hotel" — a profitable public amenity funded by local residents. Roughly 300 Baker citizens purchased stock to finance a ten-story, reinforced-concrete tower designed by Tourtellotte & Hummel , the same regional team behind the Mark Antony Hotel (Ashland) and Boise's Hoff Building . The Baker Community Hotel opened on August 24, 1929, at a reported $320,000 project cost.
Architectural signature. The exterior carries garlands and scrolls, urns at the eighth-floor corners, and pairs of ~4-foot terra cotta eagles flanking the main entries. Capping it all is the octagonal observation cupola — a glassy perch that frames the Powder River Basin and Elkhorn Mountains. At ~144 feet to the top of the cupola, the tower is the tallest building east of Oregon's Cascades.
Surviving the Great Depression (1930s-1940s)
Like many "automobile-age" hotels built away from the railroad, the Baker Community Hotel hit immediate headwinds in the Great Depression. By 1936, it sought court-supervised reorganization before debt relief, with assistance from the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, which stabilized the asset. It kept operating, hosted national-level gatherings, and was known locally as "the finest place to dine in eastern Oregon." In 1946, a majority of stockholders approved a sale, and the "Community" dropped from the name, now simply the Baker Hotel.
Hollywood's Visit, Then a Pause (1960s-early 1970s)
In 1968, during the filming of Paint Your Wagon , cast and crew used the hotel as their base — one last burst of glamour before the property closed on January 1, 1969, amid ownership/payment issues. After nearly two years dark, a local investor acquired the building and began re-tenanting.
Image Source: Oregon Encyclopedia
Reinvention to Mixed-Use (1972)
Reflecting downtowns' shifting economics, the building was reconfigured in 1972: retail/office on the 1st, 2nd, 9th, and 10th floors, and apartments on floors 3-8. A handful of rooms remained for nightly rentals on the 2nd floor for a time. This adaptive reuse kept the tower active and preserved its skyline presence.
Preservation & Upgrades (1990s-2000s)
By the early 1990s, the building needed capital. A 1992 restoration pushed it toward senior housing standards. A 1999-2001 modernization wave added a new elevator, HVAC, sprinklers, window improvements, and fiber-optic wiring, while restoring Art Deco details — marrying historic character with practical, modern systems. Post-renovation configurations emphasized retail/office (floors 1-5) with residential condominiums above.
Recognized Significance
The building contributes to the Baker Historic District and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places — recognition earned by its Art Deco architecture, community-funded origin story, and continuous role anchoring Baker City's Main Street.
Architectural Quick Facts
- Architectural Style :
- Art Deco — designed by Tourtellotte & Hummel
- Builder :
- John Almeter of Portland; roofing by Cook & Emele of Baker City
- Construction Year :
- 1929 — opened August 24, built at a cost of $320,000
- Structure :
- Reinforced concrete with nine floors, basement, and rooftop cupola; main entry on Main Street, secondary on Auburn Avenue
- Crowning Feature :
- Octagonal observation cupola with flagpole; panoramic views of Powder Valley & Elkhorn Mountains
- Ornamentation :
- Concrete garlands and scrolls, paired 4-foot terra cotta eagles at both entries, urns at the 8th-floor corners
- Height :
- 144 ft (44m); tallest building east of Oregon's Cascade Range
- Original Function :
- 2-room "community hotel" for long-distance automobile travelers; a civic monument financed by 300 local stockholders
- Current Use :
- Mixed-use landmark with offices, residences, and special-event space
Timeline
Community Financing & Grand Opening
Locally financed by 300 Baker residents through community stock sales. Construction completed under Tourtellotte & Hummel; grand opening held August 24, 1929.
Depression-Era Refinancing
Refinanced with assistance from the Reconstruction Finance Corporation during the Great Depression, allowing continued operation through economic hardship.
Ownership Change & Renaming
Original stockholders approved the sale of the property; the 'Community' name was dropped, and it became known simply as the Baker Hotel.
Hollywood Connection
Cast and crew of *Paint Your Wagon* stayed at the hotel during the 1968 filming near Baker City, marking a glamorous moment in its history.
Hotel Closure & Resale
Operations ceased on January 1, 1969. The building was later resold to a local investor who sought to restore its civic role.
Conversion to Mixed Use
Reconfigured for commercial and residential use: retail and offices on floors 1, 2, 9, and 10; apartments on floors 3 through 8.
Restoration & Senior Housing
A major $1.2M renovation restored key systems and adapted the building for senior housing as part of downtown Baker City’s revitalization.
Modern Revitalization
Upgraded with a new elevator, HVAC, fire sprinklers, and windows. Art Deco details restored; fiber-optic wiring installed; repositioned as retail/office (1–5) and condos above.
Why This History Matters (and How We Steward It)
Buildings outlive owners. The tower's community-financed origin set a tone: this place exists to serve, to adapt, and to anchor Main Street. Our job today is simple: maintain the bones, keep it useful, and keep it beautiful, so the next generation inherits more than a façade; they inherit momentum. (If you're here because you love old buildings that still work hard, you're our people.)