ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) – In a new joint resolution proposed in the Virginia General Assembly on Monday, January 20, lawmakers are seeking to give recognition to the iconic Roanoke Star.
Simply titled, “Commending the Roanoke Star,” the house joint resolution No. 512/HJ512 has been proposed by Democrats and Republicans alike.
2024 marked the 75th anniversary of the star that sits atop Mill Mountain. Originally built by Roy C. Kinsey of the Kinsey Sign Company, the star was a marketing attraction for the holiday season in 1949.
The Roanoke Star is the largest free-standing man-made illuminated star in the world. It sits more than 88 feet in the air, contains 2,000 feet of neon tubing, and weighs more than 10,000 pounds. It has been a local mainstay, where the city received its nickname, “Star City, as well as becoming a tourist attraction for the Roanoke Valley since its construction.
The bill states, “by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Roanoke Star on the occasion of its 75th anniversary; and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Roanoke City Council as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for the Roanoke Star’s significance to the history and culture of Roanoke.”