Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Kris Lindstrom | PORTSMOUTH, Va. (Nov. 26, 2017) On Dec. 1, 1959, a five-point star was raised on the...... read more read more
PORTSMOUTH, Va. (Nov. 25, 2019) On Dec. 1, 1959, a five-point star was raised on the roof of the elevator penthouse crowning Building 215 of Portsmouth Naval Hospital, now known as Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Building 3. The star, which signifies the coming of the holiday season, was conceived by Mr. Jim Schuber, a former Merchant Marine Master, who, at the time of the building’s construction, was an engineer for the Navy. Schuber stated that he had heard of a similar display in Washington, D.C.
The star was fabricated under the supervision of Mr. John Actin, civilian electric shop supervisor in the Public Works Department. Actin and his family lived in a duplex located near the northwest corner of the hospital cemetery. He and his electricians fabricated the star from tubular-steel that supported 10 eight-foot fluorescent bulbs. After being put in place on top of the building, the star rested 250 feet above the ground, becoming the highest decoration in the Tidewater region. With the exception of two years when the star was not displayed, its illumination has ushered in the holiday season and has become a Tidewater tradition.
After 32 years of use and exposure to the elements, the original star showed signs of deterioration and was in dire need of replacement. In 1992, steps were taken to replace the old relic. Mr. Warren Swain, a civilian sheet metal worker in the Public Works Department, was tasked with the planning and construction of a new and more elaborate star. Swain applied his skills in the metal trades fabricating a new star made of square-tubular aluminum and electrical fittings to support the eight foot fluorescent bulbs. The star was fabricated in the maintenance shop and reassembled on top of Building 215. The parts being 10 foot in length were too large to fit in the hospital elevators. For this reason, each part had to be separately hoisted, hand-over-hand by rope, to the rooftop of the 225-foot building where it was reassembled and anchored.
In 1993, the star was hinged to the roof and a hydraulic system was installed in order to safely raise and lower its weight. The new star, measuring 25 feet from point to point, is built of superior material and will continue to serve long into the future.
For several years after 1959, decorations displayed from Building 215 included the star and blue lights placed in specified windows on the east side of the building, facing the Norfolk skyline. These lights formed a cross measuring nine stories high by an equivalence of four stories wide. Every holiday the star is displayed, however, the blue lights in the specified windows depicting the cross are no longer a part of the season’s decorations. It was last displayed in the early 1980s.
Beginning in 1983, the holiday season is kicked off by the colorful lights outlining the tall buildings of Norfolk and Portsmouth. Decorations along the Norfolk Harbor are also enhanced by scores of lighted waterborne craft that make up the “parade of sails.” The brilliance of these lighted decorations creates much excitement and jubilation, a welcome sight for the observer to enjoy. Through the years, the lighting of the harbor has grown in proportion, and today several buildings that make up the Norfolk skyline are lined with hundreds of lights. Some have surpassed the height of Building 215. The tradition continues, and it all started in 1959 when a single star was borne and made its debut atop the Portsmouth Naval Hospital.
On Nov. 20, 2009, Swain, now retired, was invited back to the medical center to witness the 50th anniversary of the star raising. He took much pride in the event.
”I hope this star will last 50 years,” Swain said.
No doubt, the material and craftsmanship employed in its construction, it will last for many decades.
The history of the Christmas star on Building 215 was compiled by Mr. Allen P. Cutchin, who acquired the information from employees who worked at the hospital during the time Building 215 was under construction. The new star, created by Swain, was witnessed by Cutchin, who was also employed in the Public Works Department.
As the U. S. Navy's oldest, continuously-operating hospital since 1830, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth proudly serves past and present military members and their families. The nationally acclaimed, state-of-the-art medical center, including its ten branch and TRICARE Prime clinics, serves the Hampton Roads area and additionally offers premier research and teaching programs designed to prepare new doctors, nurses and hospital corpsmen for future roles in healing and wellness.
| Date Taken: | 11.25.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 12.13.2019 12:25 |
| Story ID: | 355602 |
| Location: | PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 705 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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