A holiday tradition: Southside residents bring back Christmas display
NEW PHILADELPHIA ‒ For a couple of decades, the holiday season was made a little brighter for motorists passing through the southside of New Philadelphia by an annual Christmas display at the intersection of South Broadway Street and Commercial Avenue.
The private display, filled with lighted cutout trees, candy canes and snowmen, was on the northeast quadrant of what is known as Lockport Square, on land owned by the Ohio Department of Transportation. It was begun in the 1990s by two friends, Ed Quillen, who owned a float company, and Larry Vance. The city housed the decorations during the off season and provided electricity to light the display.
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But this tradition eventually came to an end, and for the past three or four years, the quadrant has been empty at Christmas.
A neighborhood project
This December, however, the display is back, thanks to a group of neighbors who live on the southside.
Earlier this year, someone asked on the Southside Neighbors Facebook page what had happened to the display. So, Jonalee Fernatt, a southside resident who works for the city, looked into it.
"The first year that it was put up, I was a young teenager, so it was just awesome. It was like, oh my gosh, look what they did. It was really incredible, and it was so beautiful," she recalled.
She found the original cutouts were being stored in the old Lockport Town Hall on Commercial Avenue. The building, which served as the municipal building when the southside was a separate community, is scheduled to be demolished in the near future.
People on the Facebook page decided they would bring the display back. They raised money, purchased new extension cords and lightbulbs and got together on Nov. 11 to set up the display. The goal was to have it ready by the time of New Philadelphia's holiday lighting ceremony on Nov. 17.
'A great sight to see'
About 40 people ‒ adults and children ‒ showed up to help, Fernatt said. The decorations were brought out of the old town hall, the old incandescent lightbulbs were replaced new LED bulbs, decorations were put up and lights were strung on the trees in the square. Boltz Market provided lunch for the workers.
One boy came dressed in a Grinch costume and waved at passing motorists.
"The southsiders really came through. It was just such a great sight to see," she said. She noted that many residents have lived on the southside their entire lives. "Once you live there, you're there basically for life. There's a lot of history down there. The people are just like family."
In the future, the decorations will be stored in a city-owned garage on South Broadway Street.
Mayor Joel Day applauded the return of the display.
“The southside is a special community in New Philadelphia," he said. "And the Christmas display is an illustration of the pride it has in New Philadelphia and the southside neighborhoods. The lighting and displays are the southsiders’ way of lifting our spirits and celebrating the joy of Christmas. I’m grateful that the residents took it upon themselves to restore this tradition and encourage them to continue to support it.”
In need of donations
Fernatt said she hoped the display will be put up for many Christmases to come.
"Everything that was donated was enough to do what we did. We don't have much left, so we would like to continue to raise money in the future to be able to sustain that project, so we can keep it alive for years to come so people can enjoy it," she said.
Future plans call for repainting the displays and installing new light sockets.
Anyone who would like to donation to the project can make out a check to Southside Neighbors and drop it off at any Huntington Bank or mail it to 449 Taylor Drive SW, New Philadelphia, Ohio 44663.
"It was just such a warm feeling of community," Fernatt said of the neighbors coming together to bring back the display. "That's what I really want. That's what I strive for. It's doesn't matter what political party you are. Life is way too short.
"Christmas isn't about the presents and the gifts, it's about the gift of presence. It's about coming together. It's about the memories that you make. It's not about the stuff. It's just about spending time together and creating those memories. Hopefully, these little kids that might just be seeing this for the first time this year are in awe of it. Hopefully, this creates a memory for them."
Reach Jon at 330-364-8415 or at jon.baker@timesreporter.com.
This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Southside New Philadelphia residents bring back Christmas display
