Uptown Star

The Creation of the Star

In 1935, six years into the Great Depression, the Westerville Businessman’s Association wanted a large star to hang over Uptown. They believed it would lift people’s spirits and encourage them to shop locally for the Christmas holiday.

Several Public Opinion newspaper articles attribute the star’s creation to George Alexander, who ran a tin shop in the 1930s, and his son Nolan. George’s name is etched into the star. A 1973 article states that “several businessmen” helped them. Today, Alford family tradition holds that their ancestor Henry “Bisky” Alford, another local tinsmith, worked on the star.

In partnership with the City of Westerville, the Uptown Star will shine atop a new home on their State Street-facing roof during the holiday season beginning in 2026.

Timeline

1935 - Star is built. The star first hangs over the intersection of State St & E Main St, establishing a decades-long tradition.
1988 - Star is renovated. The Westerville Electric Division spent two days re-wiring 87 light bulb outlets on each side of the star, replacing broken receptacles, and repainting the metal frame.
2014 - Star is rebuilt. The city updates the aging star, switching its porcelain sockets to plastic and changing the wiring to better accommodate LEDs.
2021 - Star moves to intersection of State St & Home St. The star is moved one block north due to the aged exteriors of the buildings that the star’s rigging originally hung from.
2025 - Cable snaps during high winds. The 86-pound star falls, narrowly missing a passing car. Damage necessitates extensive repairs.
2026 - Star moves to library roof. The City of Westerville partnered with the Westerville Public Library to display the star safely and securely on the library's roof overlooking State St. (In 2023, the library installed a support structure for Agnes the Dragon, a whimsical art installation created by students and staff at The Point at Otterbein University that is displayed on the roof each October as a part of the Wizards & Wands Festival.)