Today’s #TBT dates back exactly five years to Nov. 20, 2009, when the Bldg. 3 star was raised, marking the 50th anniversary of the illuminated star atop the medical center for the holidays. The star was lit the following day, as it is annually on the Saturday before Thanksgiving in conjunction with the Grand Illumination in downtown Norfolk and Portsmouth. On a clear night, the star can be seen from 10 miles away, including from the High Rise Bridge on I-64. The current star was built in 1994 by Warren Swain, a sheet metal worker at NMCP. Swain, then retired, returned to NMCP in 2009 for the raising of the star. He is pictured viewing the star and with Facilities Department staff. Swain used aluminum tubing and high-density fluorescent lights to build the star that spans 25 feet from tip to tip. It takes three people to operate the hydraulic system, and when not in use, the star is stored flat on the roof. The original star was made from iron pipe with electric lights taped to the edges. During its first two seasons of use in 1959 and 1960, raising the star required the help of 25 people and ropes.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Nov 2014 18:05:35 +0000
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