Anne & Thomas Higgins An extraordinary collection

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By Mary Lynn Powers

Often we talk about the simple pleasures in life. Working with our hands and creating can be one of those pleasures. I visited two friends that I had recently become acquainted with who started the collection when they were still working in a local gift/florist shop that they owned for 25 years. They sold the furniture for the houses and Anne slowly began to keep some of the little pieces. Anne acquired the actual houses in a variety of ways, whether antiquing, flea markets, or word of mouth from someone who knew of her passion. Tommy worked alongside her with the projects helping in little mechanical ways. He reduced pictures of books, magazines and paintings from his computer to fit the size of the houses. They both spoke with me, and Tommy filled in blanks as Anne showed me her creations. It was heartwarming to see a marriage of 65 years so in sync. decorated it with silk flowers surrounding the outside as well as windows. The story is of a mother and daughter who love the have a collection of hand painted and decorated doll houses. They invited my to see the lovely array of miniature homes. Anne and Thomas Higgins are lifelong Fredericksburg people. They grew up here, raised their family and enjoy being part of a long standing history, which you can see reflected in many of the little houses.

It is hard to do justice to the intricate and delicate work that is reflected in Anne's creations. Tommy said he counted 35 houses in total. Anne

Where Fredericksburg Gets Engaged

Each house is painted and decorated to reflect a story that Anne developed around the houses, and written up on small placards. Some depict local buildings such as the Wilderness Church in S p o t s y l v a n i a complete with a stained glass window and old style pews. There is a replica of a one room schoolhouse named in honor of Anne's mother who was a school teacher. She recreated the beach, so the family builds this charming little getaway. There is a replica of the shop "Wee Wreath" that they owned. Each small house is chock full of items that lend to the authenticity of the piece.

Walton House in Charlottesville John Boy is sitting at a typewriter, dimple and all. Many of the houses were still in festive Christmas decor, and the actual Christmas shop was chock full of holiday goodies. The old time cash register was exquisite.

I asked Anne about her favorite and she paused, as I imagined it a difficult question. "The Pink House" she replied. She found the house in Nags Head, and

I can't begin to describe each house and the thoughtful process that went into creating these miniatures, but suffice it to say it is a novel piece of art. Tommy and Anne went on to have another career together. After their shop closed, they worked as caregivers in 2 group homes owned by Fredericksburg Baptist Church for handicapped adults. It was an honor to talk to Anne and Tommy, and learn another story of the people of Fredericksburg.