At
8:22 p.m. on November 23, 1949, a chilly Thanksgiving
Eve, Roanoke Mayor, A.R. Minton, threw a switch and
illuminated the Roanoke Star for the first time. It was
over 50 years ago Roanoke earned the nickname,
"Star City of the South," and the star has
been a part of the landscape of Mill Mountain ever
since. Why
was the "Star" constructed in the first
place? The purpose for erecting the star was to
serve as a seasonal, Christmas decoration to shine over
the city during the brisk holiday shopping season of
1949. The project was sponsored by the Roanoke Merchants
Association. The original plan was to dismantle the star
when the holiday season ended. John Payne, a Roanoke
native and, at the time, a Hollywood leading man, came
to Roanoke to add his celebrity status to the formal
lighting ceremony. Less than 100 people braved the cold
night to stand under the star as it was switched on. Who
built it? Roy C. Kinsey, then owner of Kinsey Sign
Co., built it along with his three sons, Roy Jr., Bob,
and Warren. Bob and Warren designed and built the neon
tubing still used today. Originally, the star shone only
in white, but is currently glowing in red, white and
blue due to the tragic events of 9/11. The
"Star" is actually three stars - a small star
in the center, enveloped by a larger, mid-sized frame,
and surrounded by the largest outer frame. Each
frame contains three to five sets of clear neon tubes. |
