‘Star of Palawoo’ Shining From Local Mountain Will Darken June 15 to Mark Pandemic Milestone, Return of Normalcy

Altadena’s iconic “Star of Palawoo,” which blazes brightly above the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, will continue to shine nightly through June 15 and darken afterward as the pandemic subsides and normalcy resumes.

In March 2020, Dr. Phil Elkins, the current owner, lit the star “to inspire and give us hope, as light in the midst of darkness,” said Altadena’s Bill Westphal, who with a group of other volunteers had been keeping the star in working condition. It was Elkins’ desire to light the star during the holidays, as well as during times of distress.

The star was originally built in the 1920s by F.B Nightingale, who was then manager of the Lighting Department of the General Electric Supply Corporation of Los Angeles. Nightingale named the star after his estate, called Palawoo, the Native American word for “bird’s nest,” in the foothills. The original star was made of wood and up to 50 40-watts electric bulbs, and made its debut in the 1028 Christmas season.

It was to continue shining around the Christmas season for many years, but on Oct. 25 1935, a fast-moving brush fire swept across the foothills and destroyed the wooden Star of Palawoo. Nightingale wasn’t deterred, however, and rebuilt the star, this time with a metal frame.

After Elkins acquired the Nightingale estate in 1989, the star wasn’t standing, and the owner wasn’t  aware of it for a while until he noticed some old broken wires running up the hill behind his house. He investigated and found the star lying on the ground. Since then, he has erected the Star of Palawoo, and in 1994 rewired and lit it up for Christmas.

Westphal tells much of the story of the Star of Palawoo on his family’s website, www.westphalfamily.com. He calls it the “Star of Hope.”

In 2019, Elkins, Westphal and other volunteers built a new frame for the star, with scouts from Altadena Scout Troop 1 helping carry the components up the hill. The old star was cut into pieces, which the team used as support anchors for the new one.

The group installed new 40-watt LED bulbs to replicate the lights used on the original star by Nightingale. The star was also anchored front and rear to minimize stress during high winds.

The star was lit throughout Christmas 2019, and Elkins lit it again in March 2020 when the pandemic was just starting to impact the U.S.

Every night, at least up to June 15, the Star of Palawoo can be seen from various vantage points in Altadena and Pasadena, and along the 210 Foothill Freeway, from about 7:15 to 11 p.m.