A Sleigh Built for the Holidays

By Tiffany King

A one-horse open sleigh has come to Downtown Brunswick for the holidays and can be found in Jekyll Square. Sitting next to the tall Christmas tree in the square is a bright, fire engine-red sleigh beckoning someone to sit. The sleigh was constructed by College of Coastal Georgia Landscape Technician Michael Lee and his wife Joanna.

Lee built the sleigh and his wife painted and decorated it for the holiday season. Lee said he was asked by a member of the decorating committee for downtown to build a sleigh that would be featured in the square for the first time. Woodworking is something Lee is extremely familiar with. His father was a carpenter by trade and Lee has built docks and remodeled parts of his home. He didn’t hesitate to take on the job.

“I’ve always done woodwork,” Lee said. “I was shown what they were looking for and the construction of it came out of my head.”

More than 45 hours went into constructing and decorating the sleigh. Lee said all the pieces can come off so that it can be repainted or repaired for future use.

“I’m proud of the way it looks,” he said “and Santa Claus can sit on it.”