What's The Story Behind That Big Star In Roanoke, Virginia?
It overlooks the Roanoke Valley from Mill Mountain at 88 feet. Each of its five points illuminates Roanoke at night. The ‘Mill Mountain Star’ Roanoke Star is a local favourite.
Roy C. Kinsey, his sons Roy Jr., Bob, and Warren designed and built the Roanoke Star in 1949. It was originally intended as a holiday decoration, but its popularity made it permanent. On November 23, 1949, former Roanoke Mayor A. R. Hinton and John Payne lit the star.
The giant structure is three stars held together by 2,000 feet of neon tubing and visible from 60 miles away. The main colour is white, but it can be red or blue. Any day with a solid red star indicates a traffic fatality.
It cost $28,000 to build and uses 17,500 watts at 1,847 feet above sea level. After an eight-day electrical maintenance shutdown on August 12, 2006, the star has been shining brightly since.
In the world, the Roanoke Star is the biggest man-made illuminated star that stands alone. It is also the most photographed place in the Roanoke area.
To get to the Roanoke Star, people can take the Mill Mountain Parkway exit from the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 120, or they can go through Downtown Roanoke on Walnut Avenue.