Danville couple’s home filled with Christmas scenes

It all started when J.W. Nunn wanted to set his childhood train set up under the Christmas tree — and found a Victorian-style train station by Department 56 collectibles to go with it.

“I got a train set in 1958, when I was about 6 years old, and wanted to set it up under the tree,” Nunn said. “In about 1993, we bought the train station at Gingerbread House, when it was still downtown.” 

Since then, Nunn and his wife, Dolly, have been devoted Department 56 collectors, amassing villages that are set up throughout their Vicar Road home.

A Victorian village lives under one of the Christmas trees in their home, an entire room upstairs has a 1950s village theme and Bethlehem is set up in one of the bedrooms.

The collection is not just buildings. There are people and animals, roads and skating rinks; a parade marching down Main Street; Santa in his sleigh flying over houses; a waterfall, mountains, trees and shrubbery.

While the Department 56 pieces are a large part of the Christmas décor in the Nunns’ home, the couple also sets up trees in almost every room.

In the 35 years they have been married, the Nunns have seen their collection grow and grow.

“She always loved Christmas decorating,” J.W. said of his wife.

Dolly laughed and said, “I’d spend all my money on decorations instead of on presents.”

There are clubs for people who collect Department 56, and the Danville club met at Gingerbread House. During the Christmas season, members tour each other’s homes to admire new additions and check out how others display their pieces.

“We started the club in 1994, and there were about 50 people in the club then,” Dianne McMahon said. She and her husband, Ron, were touring the Nunn’s home on Tuesday.

“We’ve all known each other for so long, we look forward to this every year,” Dianne said. “We start planning who is going to be on the tour in the late summer.”

Ron McMahon said scheduling more than six homes on an evening tour is too much.

“You just can’t see it all,” he said.

Every year, the company adds new pieces to the collections and retires others, which then become more valuable to collectors.

“Gingerbread House used to have retirement parties,” Dianne said. “There are some pieces that are worth thousands of dollars now.”

All this decorating takes time, Dolly remarked.

“J.W. is real particular about how things are set up, but he thinks we can start setting up after Thanksgiving,” she said. “I have to start the beginning of November.”

The Nunns said they have continued to purchase many of their Department 56 collectibles from Gingerbread House, but have found some other sources over the years.

The McMahons have even taken a trip to the factory to scout out pieces, not just for their Christmas villages, but for the Halloween village they collect as well.

“We probably have as much Department 56 for Halloween as we do for Christmas — 50 or 60 houses, plus people and accessories,” Dianne said. “It would take two weeks just to set Halloween up, then I’d have to take it down and start setting up Christmas.”

Dolly, who has been an avid crafter, said much of the decorating at the house grew out of her passion for crafts.

“I just like making things,” she said.

Contact Denice Thibodeau at or (434) 791-7985.

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