Philipsburg’s ‘tallest Santa in Pa.’ damaged beyond repair. What’s next for the local icon?

One of Philipsburg’s most iconic winter landmarks, the 37 1/2-foot-tall Santa Claus display first built in the 1960s, was damaged beyond repair Dec. 29 after winds knocked it over. But residents should still see a replacement in time for next Christmas.

According to John Herrington, a member of the Philipsburg Elks Lodge & Country Club, the organization that sets up and maintains the display every year, the winds blowing across the water that night were too strong for the Christmas icon to take. That led to it folding in on itself and collapsing “like an accordion.”

“Obviously I was upset when I had gotten word of the collapse, but since then we’ve received a ton of outreach from people all over that want to help get Santa back up again,” Herrington said. “The support we’ve received from the community in just a few short days has been spectacular. People here, and all over, love that Santa Claus, and it really shows.”

Because the damage that Santa received was so severe, the entire display is in need of a complete rebuild — but Herrington and Santa have been here before. About 20 years ago, the beloved display known as the “tallest Santa in Pennsylvania” suffered a similar setback.

According to Herrington, the Santa was rebuilt from scratch back then, with special care taken to mimic the original as closely as possible. All of the information from that rebuild is still readily available for reference, making for an easier construction process this time around. In 2005, the rebuilt Santa was completed to within an eighth of an inch of the original display’s dimensions.

In 2005, rebuilding the towering Santa comprised mainly of painted plywood panels cost about $10,000. The cost this time remains unknown.

“We’re looking to get the reconstruction finished by next October, but we’re going to see what happens with the cost situation first before we start doing any labor,” Herrington said. “We’re talking with the Elks Club’s committee to see if insurance will cover the rebuild. If not, we’ll be looking toward some grants or help from elected officials. If none of those things come to fruition, we’ll likely hold a community fundraiser to get the money necessary.”

Herrington has been surprised from the response of the broken Santa display, which he had posted photos of on his Facebook page. He received comments from Philipsburg natives and visitors alike who all have fond memories of seeing the display. Many have even offered to contribute to its rebuild.

Despite the offers though, Herrington and the Elks Club only want to use a community fundraiser as a last resort, as they would like to “exhaust (the Elks Club’s) other resources first.”

Although the large display will be erected again, the possibility of it being in a different location around Philipsburg is a very real one, given that the wind from the Cold Stream Dam has led to several bouts of repairs through the years.

“Cold Stream is a fantastic place for Santa because so many people can see him coming into town, but we have had to do a decent amount of maintenance on him since he’s been located there,” Herrington said. “It’s a very windy spot down there, and sometimes the moisture from the dam blows into the wood, weakening it or tarnishing the paint. I can’t say for certain if we’ll ever move him again, but if we do, it’ll be because we found the absolute perfect spot.”

Before it was moved to the Cold Stream Dam in 2005, the display stood at three other locations in and around the borough — in the parking lot of the Philipsburg American Legion, outside the Harbor Inn and in front of CMP Energy, formerly the Mitchell Oil Company.

Regardless of its location, though, Herrington believes that the giant Santa will continue to be loved by the borough’s residents and visitors alike, much as it has been since it was first built and displayed in 1962 by artist Billy Adams.

“The hope is that Santa will be up for many, many years following the rebuild,” Herrington said. “People from all over the country have reached out to me in the past few days to share their concerns and their memories of the display. That Santa Claus has been around for generations of families to admire, and we’d love it if it were up for several more.”

When Adams constructed the original display, which comes complete with a huge painted toy bag and six toy soldiers, he included in it several unique details, including an “A” on the wooden block inside Santa’s toy bag, which serves as Adams’ signature on the piece.

The height of the display is also an homage to the year Adams graduated high school — 37 feet for the Philipsburg High School’s Class of 1937.

The giant Kris Kringle even inspired an all-new Christmas event in Philipsburg last month. The Philipsburg Revitalization Corporation’s Mid-Century Christmas was meant to bring event-goers back to the time of Philipsburg’s heyday — the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s.

Future updates and progress on Santa’s rebuild will be made available on Herrington’s Facebook page.