JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
One of Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph's landmarks is undergoing a transformation.
The star on the traffic island in Washington Circle - one of the earliest features of the Army Air Corps' Randolph Field more than eight decades ago - will soon become a distinctive hardscape filled with terracotta paver bricks and bordered by multi-colored river stones and decomposed granite while retaining its five-pointed appearance.
"The star will look stately and will maintain a clean appearance for years to come," John Howry, JBSA landscape architect, said.
Howry, who designed the star, said JBSA leaders approved a hardscape version because the yaupon holly that formed the previous star required too much water and maintenance when water conservation is essential.
"The difference with the new design as opposed to the old design is that we are changing with the times," he said. "Droughts and water restrictions are requiring us to make more happen with less. The benefit of the finished product will be government savings in maintenance, water usage and any irrigation repairs over the years and the overriding benefit is permanent sustainability."
The shrubbery was removed in March, and construction of the new star began immediately, Howry said. The project, which is being handled by workers assigned to JBSA, is scheduled to be completed by June 1, but it may be extended a week or two due to weather delays, he said.
The project will affect traffic around the circle, Howry said.
"Traffic will be designated to one lane during construction times, which are typically from 9 a.m. till 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, weather permitting," he said. "During construction, cones will be placed out to direct incoming and outgoing traffic."
Howry said the colors of the new star will complement the Taj Mahal, which is directly south of it.
"The star will be elevated 18 inches above grade and will have a terracotta brick infill - reflecting the terracotta roofs - as its surface," he said. "The brick will consist of three different patterns to create interest. The finish on the perimeter beam forming the star will be finished in white stucco to match the Taj Mahal."
Three individual sizes of multi-colored river stones will encircle the star and form part of the border for the wings of the star. A 4-foot-wide concrete sidewalk with a broom finish will wrap around the river stones on the outside of the star. Access sidewalks are planned for the east and west sides of the island so visitors will stay off the granite.
In addition, decomposed granite will be located in the triangular sections between the star's wings and in the area between the sidewalk and the existing curb.
Howry said the new design will accommodate the Christmas tree that is displayed each year.
"Hot-dipped galvanized eye bolts will be inserted into the concrete to receive the tie-downs for the Christmas tree and electrical connections shall be provided for the lighting of the tree," he said.
The star has shone at JBSA-Randolph since its Randolph Field beginnings. Aerial photographs show that the star was already a prominent feature while the administration building, which later became known as the Taj Mahal, was being constructed circa 1930.
Lane Bourgeois, 12th Flying Training Wing historian, said a magazine called The Service News in its Randolph Field edition described the star in a November 1931 article titled "A Spin Around the Base": "The Air Corps insignia, a white star on a blue background with red center, worked out in a 40-foot circle, acts as the central feature; the field marker directly behind, indicating with concrete letters of regulation size, the name of the field."
"So the star's significance is directly tied to the Air Corps insignia," Bourgeois said. "That's what it actually was when the base was constructed. In those days everyone would have immediately recognized the insignia."
Erin Rice, Air Education and Training Command historian, said a document from November 1932 indicates that shrubbery may have been used to create the star, and a photograph from that period shows what appears to be a low-lying topiary sculpture.
The document, a report from the post gardener's office to Capt. Norfleet Bone, Randolph Field's landscape architect and engineer from 1929-33, mentioned an "entrance circle hedge" that should be watered every other day, Rice said.
A photograph in the 12th FTW history office also shows that the star was removed at least once in JBSA-Randolph's history.
The star is missing in a photograph taken sometime after the completion of the Missing Man Monument in 1977. Bourgeois speculated that the star may have been removed when the "Randolph Field" marker in front of the Taj Mahal was changed to "Randolph AFB" sometime in the early to mid-1950s and reinstated when the marker was changed back to "Randolph Field" between 1983 and 1985.
"If memory serves, we changed 'AFB' to 'Field' because many of our buildings were being registered as historic buildings, and they wanted to return the base's appearance to its original, historical appearance as much as possible," he said.