Central Bank of Boone County has commissioned holiday ornaments commemorating famous Columbia landmarks every year since 1988, with the first ornament depicting Jesse Hall at the University of Missouri.
Since the program’s inception, Central Bank’s intricate metal ornaments, with their multi-layered, three-dimensional appearance, have celebrated thirty-seven Columbia-area institutions and landmarks, including the nearly 400-year-old state champion burr oak at McBaine, the towering Tiger Hotel, and the Daniel Boone Regional Library. Some of the past years’ ornaments are available at the Boone County Historical Society.
A Coveted Collectors’ Item
Mary Wilkerson, senior vice president of marketing at Central Bank, said the ornaments are limited edition, and individuals wanting to start a collection shouldn’t expect to collect all thirty-seven.
“The simple truth is, when they’re gone, they’re gone,” Wilkerson said. “A lot of the very old ornaments simply don’t exist anymore. So if you wanted Jesse Hall, for example, you ain’t gonna find it.”
Wilkerson has several Columbia-themed ornaments on her own Christmas tree — “but not all [of them] because they started before I got here,” she added. Wilkerson’s first ornament was the Boone County Courthouse, which she acquired in 1992, her first year with the bank.
The maker of this year’s ornament, artist Steven Bixby, has designed limited-edition Christmas ornaments for years. In 1998, Bixby designed an ornament for the National Garden in Washington, D.C., featuring the United States Capitol building and butterflies. In 1990, Bixby designed a Yankee Stadium ornament for the New York Yankees.
This Year’s Honoree: Boone Hospital Center
Bixby’s 2025 ornament for Central Bank depicts Boone Hospital Center, originally built in 1921, at 1600 E. Broadway. Brady Dubois, president and CEO of Boone Health, said the hospital feels honored to be part of Central Bank’s ornaments list.
“For more than 100 years, we have served mid-Missourians with some of the highest health care quality in the nation,” Dubois stated in an email. “The strength of the building’s duration through all of the tough times and good times is a symbol of our employees’ strength and dedication to the health of mid-Missouri. We appreciate the recognition from Central Bank.”
Selecting a Subject
When selecting a new ornament subject, Wilkerson said she seeks out historic and interesting-looking buildings. She has a running list of around fifty suggestions of historic buildings in cities throughout mid-Missouri, including Boonville, Ashland, Centralia, and Moberly. Central Bank of Boone County’s executive board makes the final decision on which building to feature.
Sometimes, Wilkerson said, Central Bank is able to celebrate an anniversary with the ornaments, as in 2007, when the ornament sported a painting of jazz singers to celebrate the Roots N Blues Festival.
Wilkerson said her favorite ornament is the 2021 edition, another design that doesn’t feature a building. Rather, it depicts the “La Colomba” stainless steel statue located across the street from the Daniel Boone Regional Library.
It’s “better known as the ‘french fries,’” Wilkerson said, referring to the shape of the statue. The work portrays an abstract dove in flight and has been on display since 1979.
She said it can be hard to pick a subject sometimes, since mid-Missouri has a lot of historic and interesting buildings, and Central Bank wants to select something people will recognize.
Wilkerson said the bank also focuses on a building’s aesthetics. Historic buildings tend to be more distinctive than modern structures, and Wilkerson said Central Bank tries to choose something with a lot of character — especially since the ornaments can have bright colors now.
The more iconic a location is, Wilkerson noted, the more excited people are. When Central Bank selected Broadway Diner, the old-school restaurant at 22 S. Fourth St., Wilkerson said “people went bananas” because almost everybody in Columbia has a memory of going to Broadway Diner, either with family or at the end of a night out.
Broadway Diner’s owner, Dave Johnson, said it was an honor to receive an ornament for his Christmas tree that featured his own business.
“It was so much better than it looked in the designing, and it just turned out beautifully,” Johnson said. “Everybody was really super pleased and thrilled for the diner to be part of Columbia’s history like that.”
A Season of Giving
When the completed ornaments arrive, Central Bank provides the owner of the chosen building or business with a box of ornaments to distribute. Johnson said he remembers getting around 100 ornaments and handing them out to friends, family, and longtime customers. Wilkerson noted that bank staff also receive a box to hand out to customers.
“Like any business around the holidays, everybody gives gifts,” she added. She said it’s refreshing to have an excuse to find a genuine and human connection with somebody else.
“We’re all so busy. We do everything by email and texting,” Wilkerson said, noting the personal touch involved in the metal ornaments. “I always feel like people are very grateful, mostly those folks that have just been around Columbia a long time.”
Throughout the Years
1988
Jesse Hall
1989
Memorial Union
1990
Senior Hall
(Stephens College)
1991
Gazebo
(Columbia College)
1992
Boone County
Courthouse
1993
Maplewood home
1994
Missouri Theatre
1995
Switzler Hall/
Francis Quadrangle
1996
Katy Trail
1997
Central Bank
of Boone County
1998
Grant Elementary
School
1999
Memorial Stadium
2000
Columbia College
gateway
2001
Firestone
Baars Chapel
(Stephens College)
2002
The Big Tree
2003
Martin Luther
King Jr. Memorial
at Battle Gardens
2004
Wabash Station
2005
Tiger Hotel
2006
“People” sculpture
2007
Boone County
National Bank’s 150th anniversary festival
(first Roots N Blues)
2008
University of Missouri School of Journalism
2009
Thespian Hall
in Boonville
2010
New Columbia City Hall
2011
Shelter Gardens
2012
Boone County
Courthouse Plaza
2013
The Columns
2014
MFA, Inc.
2015
The Motor Bank
2016
John W. “Blind”
Boone House
2017
Rock Bridge
Memorial State Park
2018
Albert Bishop Chance House and Gardens, Centralia
2019
Daniel Boone Regional Library
2020
Centralia’s bank mural
2021
“La Colomba” sculpture
2022
Gateway Plaza sculpture
2023
Collins Log Cabin
2024
Broadway Diner
2025
Boone Hospital
