Christmas Star Damage Severe - Needs Extensive Repairs
Christmas Star’s Complete Damage Yet To Be Assessed
The iconic Westerville Christmas Star sustained significant damage last week when it fell in high winds from the cable that supported it over State Street, just north of Home Street. The dented, buckled, and misshapen star struck State Street after its lower guy wires appeared to slow its descent, slinging it to the side of the road, where it was damaged before landing in the tree lawn.
The visible damage on one side of the metal structure includes crumpling on several parts of the 10-foot-tall star, with the most severe damage where it seems to have ended its plummet. A few of the LED bulbs were broken, but the buckling probably loosened or damaged many of their sockets. Electric Division Director Chris Monacelli said it’s hard to judge the full extent of the internal damage, especially to the wiring and the fixtures that hold the LEDs in place.
City staff say the real concern is what they cannot see. Although the exterior damage appears modest in photos, the internal frame that has supported the star through generations may be bent or weakened. When crews inspected it on the ground, they were able to flex sections of the structure by hand, revealing how much force the fall delivered.
Moncelli said the damage could have been more severe, but it appears that when the bracket at the top of the star broke, the fall was slowed by the two cables secured to the bottom.
For those who have cared for the star year after year, that realization hit hard. The Electric Division has treated the piece almost like an heirloom. Some crew members have been hanging it for decades, and several described feeling “beside themselves” when they learned it had come down.
Monacelli said they cannot take chances with a symbol the community values deeply. The star weighs around 107 pounds, and another mishap over State Street could have been disastrous. That concern stayed with them throughout the inspection.
“Thank God it did not hit a car or a person,” one staff member said. The star landed flat on the thick layer of leaves in the tree lawn, a stroke of luck that kept a much worse outcome from happening. The city did not know the star had fallen but found out when an Electric Division worker drove by and saw it on the ground.
Due to its size, weight, and age, the star will need a careful teardown and probably a custom-built jig before repairs can start. Staff members say they don’t want to rush a fix and risk losing the piece for good.
“Unless it’s one thousand percent certain, we can’t put it back up,” Monacelli said.
City officials said the damage prevents the star from being displayed during this weekend’s parade and holiday lighting events. Its size and weight make it unsafe to display on the ground, and the city lacks a structure capable of supporting it for public viewing. Staff mentioned they knew residents would look for it during the festivities, but the star's condition left them with no choice.
The city has not announced a timeline or cost estimate for repairs. Officials only say what many residents already feel: the star means something. And when it shines again, they want to make sure it shines safely.
Read More about the history of the Christmas Star at “Don in Westerville. Uptown Westerville history: the hanging iconic Christmas star”
Before installing a platform to hold the projector, one of the installers used his head at a temporary resting place to see what position would work best. The LED projector will be used during the Friday night tree lighting to cast holiday-themed videos on the alley walls in Uptown.
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