Alina Popov
When you visit Pierce College Farm Market this holiday season you will be treated to a charming miniature porcelain village scene that is delightful and pleasing to the eye.
The tradition of decorating village such as this dates back centuries to the Moravians who placed Nativity scenes beneath the tree. But how often do you find someone taking his personal collection and sharing it with strangers? Robert McBroom Senior and his wife Agnes do it every year.
The McBrooms been married for 43 years but relatively recently began their passion for collecting and displaying these villages.
They had a small collection of two houses, one of which was destroyed in 1994 Northridge Earthquake. The remaining house, which had been given to them by their son Robert, fueled their passion for collecting. Their collection boasts more than 500 houses with accompanying winter scenery. McBroom Senior estimates the collection now is worth approximately $50,000. All the houses are made by the Department 56 Company that designs and creates unique and highly detailed pieces, which bring warmth to family traditions and celebrations.
It started as just a home display for friends and family, but as the collection expanded, they decided to bring part of it to the Farm Market, where their son Robert is a director. The exquisitely crafted Santa’s North Pole village is a place of whimsy and joy, where Mr. and Mrs. Claus, along with the elves, get ready for Christmas. The set is creatively built around Santa Claus, with his magnifying glass, looking at an idyllic winter wonderland in a globe.
This delightful North Pole village scene has been bringing holiday spirit to visitors for over five years.
“It brings cheer to people” McBroom said, “especially to the little ones. They just fall in love with it”.
The second display features the Little Town of Bethlehem which is going to be finished by the end of this week.
“We own other collections like Alpine village, Snowbabies…We still add to the collection, but not much. It is very hard to store. It is easy to break and takes up lots of space.”
The McBrooms start building their set after Thanksgiving and start dismantling it on December 26th.
It is obvious by watching Robert McBroom that he puts his heart and soul into his project. It is a gift of love for others to enjoy.
“It gives me feeling of accomplishment as I see people enjoying it” says Mc Broom. “Everybody should come and see it. That’s why I put it there!”
Pierce College Farm Market ()
Pierce College Farm Market ()