Miniature Dollhouses
Dollhouses are a familiar sight to many, perhaps even a cherished childhood possession for some. Nestled within Edwards County, in Rocksprings, awaits a genuine gem. Debra Wolcott, proprietor of the Texas Miniature Museum and the Historic Rocksprings Hotel, curates a distinctive collection featuring an array of dollhouses and miniature wonders.
Debra Wolcott, holding a master’s in architecture from the University of Texas at Austin and an undergraduate degree from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, began her collection in 1996. She picked up a dollhouse that had been made from an old produce crate and on a whim decorated it. Finding enjoyment with that endeavor, she began seriously learning about and acquiring dollhouses. Debra’s collection grew when her friend Chris Higgins, the proprietor of Crickets and Caterpillars miniature shop in Houston, reached out post-Hurricane Ike. With her shop facing closure due to extensive damage, Chris offered Debra the opportunity to acquire The Blue House and the Knob Hill Boarding School/Halloween House. Despite hurricane-related damage, Debra successfully restored these cherished additions to her collection.
In 2002, Debra made the decision to launch an exhibit within the same mall that once housed Crickets and Caterpillars, marking the inception of The Houston Miniature Museum. In 2004, she and her husband bought an old ranch headquarters and moved from Houston to Rocksprings. One year later, Debra rented a small space in Rocksprings and opened the Texas Miniature Museum. Eager to share her collection with the community, she hosted an open house.
Debra has traveled all over the country, immersing herself in the world of dollhouses and miniatures, and sourcing unique items for her museum. Following her passing, the collection of Flora Gill Jacobs, a globally recognized expert on dollhouses and the founder of the Washington Doll’s House and Toy Museum, went up for auction. Although a house Debra had her eye on was beyond her budget, Debra was able to acquire a 1900 Mediterranean Villa, complete with all its intricate components. During her visit to the Art Institute of Chicago, she discovered the Thorne Rooms from the 1930s—a series of meticulously designed miniature rooms on a 1:12 scale. Additionally, Debra’s exploration at the Museum of Science and Technology in Chicago led her to marvel at Colleen Moore’s Fairy Castle, an elaborate 9-square-foot castle created in the 1930s by the silent film star.
Debra’s collection boasts metal houses crafted by Louis, Marx and Co., a 1960s-era Barbie house, and two-dimensional creations by the renowned Brooke Tucker, an instructor renowned for teaching dollhouse-making classes. Among her diverse assortment are houses made from felt and cardboard. Notably, there’s a magnetic three-dimensional house where furniture can be effortlessly rearranged simply by moving it to a different spot.
The Texas Museum of Miniatures is located across the street from the Historic Rocksprings Hotel in the 1920s First National Bank building, which has served various purposes over the years. The museum is open by appointment and currently has 154 dollhouses and room boxes. Debra will gladly guide you through the collection, offering insights into the history and origins of each intricately crafted house.
