Each year, following the Thanksgiving holiday, a traditional decoration takes its place over Main and State streets in Uptown Westerville, signaling the holiday season for the entire month of December.
The Westerville Holiday Star has a long history in our community, dating back to the mid-1930s when holiday spirit was much needed.
It was during the Great Depression that the Westerville Businessman’s Association, led by Percy Yantis, started looking for a way to bring business to the Uptown area and to make the holidays seem brighter for a community that, like the rest of the country, was suffering tough economic times. Yantis went to Westerville City Manager Ross Windom with the idea of a large star that could hang over State Street in the main intersection of the shopping area.
Windom liked the idea and commissioned local tinsmith George Alexander to create the star. Alexander was known for both his tin work and his musical talent, as he was also director of the Westerville Band. He created the star in his shop, located Uptown off of College Avenue. Alexander passed away in 1939 at the age of 55 after 35 years in the tinsmith business.
The community newspaper at the time, The Public Opinion, published an article in its Dec. 5, 1935 edition that profiled the Star, reading “The business section of the village has taken on a holiday appearance with the erection of the Christmas decorations. A noteworthy addition this year is a huge star electrically lighted and hanging high over the street at the corner of State and Main Sts.”
In 2008, the 40-watt incandescent lamps that lit the Star were exchanged with two-watt LED lamps (see “By the Numbers”). Now, instead of consuming enough electricity to power a home for one month, the Star consumes approximately that of a small refrigerator for the same one-month period, without diminishing the beauty of this legacy ornament.
This year, the Star will be installed the first week of December.
*Information courtesy of Beth Weinhardt, Westerville Local History Resource Center, and Kathy Cocuzzi, Westerville City Council. Photo courtesy of the Westerville Visitors and Convention Bureau.
Holiday Decoration Community Contest
Planning for the second annual Holiday Decoration competition for residents in the City of Westerville is now underway. This contest simply recognizes homeowners who display holiday lights on the exterior of their homes in celebration of the season. Here’s how to participate:
1) Nominate your home or a home you admire that is decorated for the holiday. Decorations may include lights or other holiday features. Homes must be located in the corporate limits of the City of Westerville. (Not sure? Get the address and call the City at 614-901-6400)
2) Take a digital photo of your home or your nominee’s home and send to communityaffairs@westerville.org. All nominations must be received by Tuesday, Dec. 31 for consideration. Recognitions will be announced in January.
3) Members of Westerville City Council will judge the entries, awarding the top entries during a City Council meeting in January. Families, individuals and homeowners will be recognized for their creativity and effort on the City of Westerville website and receive a certificate of recognition from Westerville City Council.
