Have you ever heard of a Chandelier Tree?
Do you know that Evansville is about to get one?
One week from today, on Friday, December 11, 2020, at 4:45 PM a Chandelier Tree will be lit up for the first time, adding a little more magic to Main Street in downtown Evansville. You can join in the action via a Facebook Live event and watch the tree come alive when the switch is flipped on the newest lighting installation. This project springs from a collaboration with Downtown Evansville Economic Improvement District, Wilde Horticulture, Pinnacle Contractors, and F.C. Tucker Emge REALTORS®. Josh Armstrong, President of Downtown Evansville’s Economic Improvement District (EID) says, “We are always looking for ways to create points of connection between people and place. Murals, landscaping, lighting, etc. We especially like lighting because it adds vibrancy during night hours, adding feelings of safety, a sense of community, etc.”
This Chandelier Tree joins other whimsical lighting displays that have been appearing on Main Street recently, including the installation of 1800 feet of lighted tree wells along Main Street. The lights are color coded for various holidays, and splash colored lights up into the trees. This is the longest installation of this system in the US and they plan on adding two more blocks next year. According to Armstrong, many of the other lighting installations have been temporary, although the “Wall of Light” in the 200 block of Main has stayed around because of the positive energy it creates downtown.
So what is a chandelier tree? Simply put, a chandelier tree is a tree that is hung with actual chandeliers. The inspiration for the Evansville Chandelier Tree originates from California, where in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles, two private citizens began hanging extra chandeliers from a large tree in their front yard. In the years that it glowed, the Silver Lake Chandelier Tree became the site of hundreds of proposals, thousands of family and friend pics, and helped revitalize the century-old neighborhood.
Evansville’s Chandelier Tree will be located at the large ginkgo tree at the edge of the parking lot of F.C. Tucker Emge REALTOR® downtown, at 130 Main street, near the corner of Second and Main. It will be hung with 13 repurposed chandeliers that have been rewired with a low-voltage system so they are safe, waterproof and energy efficient. The fixtures have come from garage sales, Habitat for Humanity’s Re-Store, personal donations, and new purchases. It will be a year-round installation that the community can engage with at their convenience. The lights will twinkle from dawn to dusk and it is sure to be enchanting.
Josh Armstrong had been looking for a way to implement this project for about 5 years. Initially, the idea was for a temporary exhibition, but electrical issues initially created complications; however, the delay gave Armstrong and his collaborators time to make a more comprehensive plan. With help from F.C. Tucker Emge REALTORS®, who is supplying the electricity for the Chandelier Tree, a permanent solution was found. Armstrong is very excited about the potential for this installation: “This tree is a gingko, so this will be special throughout the year. The gingko has bright green leaves in the spring, almost chartreuse in color, and in the fall the leaves turn a warm gold. With the lights it will just glow. We are super excited about the project….We hope to bring people into Downtown who may not have been here in awhile, and we hope the pictures are spread across the world via social media! We also think this will become the number one engagement location in the region (and that is a deep connection with place)”
Collaborative efforts that result in installations like this helps everyone in the community get reacquainted with the city and with their own history and legacy. For example, the historic name of the F.C. Tucker Emge building is the MidWest Federal Savings and Loan Association. It was built in 1939, replacing an older bank building that was damaged by the 1937 flood. F.C. Tucker Emge REALTORS® is proud to partner with Downtown Evansville to make this unique Chandelier Tree a reality for our community. We hope it adds extra magic to your holidays, throughout the year, and for many years to come.
The more you share your visit to this newest landmark, the more the delight spreads. Make sure you use these tags when you share your visit on your social media pages: #DTEVV #ChandelierTree #FCTE
