Bill Fields reached into the living room, pointing to the white silhouettes near the fireplace of his Victorian Mansion doll house that is a product of his and his wife Faye's dedication and devotion to each other.
"These cameos, I brought them back from World War II in 1945 from Italy," he said.
Bill and Faye Fields are about to celebrate their 62nd anniversary on Nov. 9. They displayed the doll house in the front social room at the Burke Healthcare Center for other residents and grandchildren to enjoy. Faye Fields is a resident of the center while Bill Fields remains in their house in Manassas.
Marilyn Scarbrough is at the center recovering from a leg ailment. With her leg propped up in a wheelchair, she watched them set up the house.
"They made that themselves, I thought what a wonderful thing for a couple to do together. There's all that love that went into this," she said.
Amanda Gannon, administrator at the center, was amazed at the detail. She even picked out a room that was hers if the house was a real house.
"We are thrilled to have this on display, this looks like it's professionally done," she said.
THE HOUSE is a one-inch scale copy of the California home of Little Orphan Annie's creator, Harold Gray. The Fieldses purchased the initial kit in 1972 while in Occoquan visiting their son, Neil. They found it at Bob Porter's doll house shop and took it back to Florida where they worked on it over the years.
Mohamed Kanu, director of nursing, noted the benefits a project like this adds.
"It's very therapeutic for the residents," he said.
The house was therapeutic for Faye Fields as well. She sat by the doll house in a wheelchair and was happy that the house was getting all the attention.
"This is the way she's able to share her vitality and creativity," Scarbrough said.
Bill and Faye Fields collected many of the furnishings and materials from doll-house stores all over the country.
"We got stuff at a lot of different doll-house shops," Bill Fields said.
The exterior is painted a lime green, an idea Fields got from Williamsburg. It's called Blair Green.
Years ago, Faye Fields joined the House of Miniatures Club where she got some furniture from the 1700-1800 period.
"We've gone to Williamsburg and we got some ideas from there," he said.
The pink canopy bed in the main bedroom is his pride and joy though.
"The canopy bed and the high boy [furniture piece], that's what I'm most proud of. It took a tremendous amount of time," he said.
The wiring, detailed paintings and all the intricate work took time also. There are detailed paintings of his son and daughter-in-law and mother-in-law.
"The hardest job I've ever had was designing and building the staircase," he said.
WHEN Bill and Faye Fields decided to relocate to Manassas, Neil didn't want them to risk moving the house so he came down in a van and picked it up. They dedicated one room to the doll house in their Manassas condominium and have not shown it in public until an open house in Manassas Oct. 19 and the Burke Healthcare Center for the final week in October.
"The open house and this place, that's the first time the public's ever seen it," he said.
Bill and Faye Fields plan on finishing the attic with attic-type junk, spider webs and an art-room nook. Faye had her work cut out for her before she became disabled and had to be transferred to the center.
"She just loves it, in the hideaway room she wanted to put an easel because I paint," Bill Fields said.