Winnie the Witch of St. James undergoes repairs

By Sabrina Artusa

Winnie the Witch, the 47-year-old, 30-foot community staple of St. James, may be fully repaired in late fall.

A local couple, Victoria Johnston and Kenneth Maher Jr., are leading the effort to revive this beloved figure. Johnston, a special education teacher, and Maher, funeral director at St. James Funeral Home, began the project in March 2021. 

After many months of fundraising and working with contractors, the repairs were started. The renovations will be done by Brian Capo of Capo Design Build of Nesconset. It is hoped the work will be finished by Halloween.

Maher was raised in St. James and said he remembers driving past Winnie throughout his life. “The older we got, and still the witch remained,” he said. Now, he and Johnston want to “beautify” her “for the future generations to admire.”

Winnie was created in 1976 by David Wicks and subsequently propped in front of his business, Wicks Nursery & Greenhouses in St. James, where she attracted families searching for autumnal festivities.

Since then, Winnie has been a signature part of St. James and Long Island. Johnston said she often gets messages from people across the country expressing how much Winnie means to them.

Winnie is listed on RoadsideAmerica.com, a website for those seeking idiosyncrasies that contribute to the charm and distinctiveness of a locale. For St. James, Winnie has always been special.

When the couple began construction, it was for sentimental reasons. Johnston and Maher grew up with Winnie, and seeing her gradual decay motivated them to take action with the consent of Wicks.

Winnie was built primarily with wood and other materials that Wicks had on hand, according to Johnston. True to her nature, Winnie became hunched over time, her head angled to the ground.

Hurricane Sandy damaged the supportive metal rods holding her upright. In renovating, contractors will replace most of Winnie’s structural support with metal.

“It’s a [nearly] 50-year-old witch that has been sitting outside,” Maher said. “We can’t work on her too fast.”

Maher and Johnston spearheaded this effort with the help of their fellow residents and are still raising money to finalize Winnie’s repairs. They have raised $15,000 to date but need a few thousand more to satisfy the total costs.

Winnie’s head is currently being repaired. Next, contractors will add metal hoops to replace the failing metal rods and old wood supports. Soon, Winnie will be back, watching over 25A and reviving a St. James tradition.

“When we first started it, we just thought that we loved the witch,” Johnston said. “It’s crazy that she had that big of an impact more than just on our little family.”

Johnston added that she was surprised by the community’s enthusiastic response. She remembers one woman who told her she would fly back to Long Island once the project is finished.

As seen by the flurry of comments across social media platforms, people have indeed rallied around this effort, celebrating the return of a figure that carries so much nostalgia. Many write to the couple, thanking them for their effort. 

“Things like that make it all worth it,” Johnston said.