Morgan Hall
December 18, 2025
We had such a wonderful evening. It’s so nice to have something so special in our hometown.
Built in 1962 using locust posts cut from the Noel (NOHL) property on Frazier’s Hill in Clifton Forge, Virginia, and illuminated by sixty (60) standard household light bulbs, the original Noel Family Star stood 30 feet tall. Two additional poles acted as braces to support the structure, and each pole used in the star’s frame was the same length.
The star was constructed by Noel family members:
And by brethren of Benjamin Harrison Noel from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:
Several missionaries also assisted. Over time, wiring and structural details were adjusted as needed.
(If any names were unintentionally omitted due to the passage of decades, the family welcomes additions. Please contact the current Keepers of the Star.)
The original star was accidentally built 15–20 feet over the property line onto a neighbor’s land. When the property changed ownership, the new owners did not wish for it to remain there, and the star was moved and rebuilt on property owned by Marie Hayslett.
It was created as a memorial to Benjamin Harrison Noel, whose dream was to place a glowing Christmas star on the hill. Neither he nor his wife, Eva, lived to see it completed.
As a kid, I remember riding in the back seat of my parents’ car on Christmas Eve, coming from my grandparents’ homes, and always looking for the star that signaled the Holiest of nights, and for a little boy, Santa Claus.
That little glow has stayed with me ever since.
This star is for the memories we hold dear, for all the moments we share, and for the family who started it all—the Noels. Merry Christmas!
To everyone who helped bring my vision of redoing the star to life, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
And to my forever home, beautiful Clifton Forge—you will always shine in my heart.
❤️ With love,
Brian Hambrick
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