Strolling past the Edward Jones office structure on 108 E. Vance Street in historic downtown Fuquay-Varina around Christmastime, you will come across what has become a treasured holiday-time town tradition: a vast collection of wooden Nutcracker dolls on display on the store’s window ledges with characters including a Drum Major, Golfer, Santa, Snow Skier, Football Player, Soldier in Camo, Chef, Fireman, and a Mouse King with a piece of cheese skewered on his sword! They are all unique and cleverly made.
The doll collection owners are John and Michelle Braxton, and their sons, Will and Grant. The family used to display these dolls at their home. Every Christmastime they would clear out all of their bookshelves in the den for this display, as Michelle explained in a recent interview with Suburban Living magazine. Through John’s work as a financial broker with Edward Jones (he’s retired now), the family had been fortunate to get to travel to many places around the world and they collected the Nutcracker dolls on those trips from the time their boys were young (they are now ages 23 and 20).
One Nutcracker led to another, and the collection quickly grew to over 30 dolls. The Snow Skier came from Colorado, and another was picked up in Hawaii. John’s favorites are those that are baseball-themed (he had played semiprofessionally); Will likes the hunters, while Grant favors the fireman. Michelle’s favorite is one she calls “Prince Charming” which she bought for John while they were staying at a manor house in Ireland. The Prince is decked out in royal blue, white and silver! The whole family loves the collection, and they still receive new Nutcrackers from friends and family to add to it.
A few years back, it was decided that the dolls should go to the store on E. Vance Street to be put on display each year on the window ledges. Michelle said that it has worked out well and been fun to see families come to view the display, such as the fireman and his child who blurted out, “Look Daddy, it’s you!” One year, the town set out an artificial ice-skating rink in front of the store, which greatly increased the doll viewing crowd! These Nutcracker dolls will once again be on display this year. They are put out the day before the town’s annual tree lighting event, as they have been for many long years now.
Incidentally, the store building is owned by the Braxtons. They purchased it from Mrs. Harriet Ray in 2007-2008, as Michelle said, “When the market was terrible and it seemed like a bad time to buy.” Mrs. Ray’s mother, Carrie, had worked as a secretary for John’s grandfather, T.G., in Cumberland County for around 22 years and she said selling the building to them was like selling to her family. It seemed to be the only reason Mrs. Ray had responded to their property sale inquiry at all. The building was in a deteriorated state and needed a lot of renovation work. John and Michelle worked with some generous folks from SE Interiors out of Buies Creek and their contractors to renovate it to its present condition.
Michelle said the building, which was built in 1947, has an interesting history, having housed a print shop and a grocery, and apparently diapers were made there as a back home war-fighting effort. Some folks in town may also remember a time when this store window hosted a moving train set, another winter holiday-time display that once brought delight to people of all ages.
Checking out store window displays like this one with the ornate Nutcracker dolls in the historic downtown area is a great activity for the whole family. There is plenty of free and jolly fun to be had, some of which is brought to you through the kindness of the town’s business owners. Thanks to them for making the seasons that much more special and for sharing their behind-the-scenes stories with us!
