The house that Sarah Franklin, 5, of Vienna, built will adorn the lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building. "It was a very eclectic house, typical of a kindergartner," said Barbara Franklin, Sarah's mother.
The house is actually a Christmas tree ornament, and it has been chosen to hang on the Capitol Holiday Tree, which will be placed in front of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.
Vienna will be the last of 34 stops for the tree before it is taken to the Capitol. "They selected us as the last stop, probably because of our closeness to Washington, D.C.," said Cathy Salgado, director of the Vienna Parks and Recreation Department.
The tree was originally an 82-foot-tall red spruce, which has been trimmed down to about 70 feet, said Donna Wilson, information officer for the Capitol Holiday Tree. The tree's rings indicated that it was 79 years old. "In Virginia, we really don't have trees that grow that tall very much," Wilson said.
The tree will be decorated with ornaments submitted from across the state, said Wilson. Eleven thousand ornaments were donated, and 5,000 of those, including Sarah Franklin’s, will go on the main tree.
Her ornament, said Barbara Franklin, was a small birdhouse, with birds decorating its sides, scenes from a farm and beach, and the names of several of the U.S. presidents who have come from Virginia. Sarah got a little help from her parents with some of the more complicated parts, but the ideas were hers, Franklin said.
The tree, which was taken from the George Washington National Forest in Highland County, Va., was chosen because it was perfect, Wilson said.
Unlike a tree in a home, it can't be put into a corner to hide a bald spot. "This is the kind of tree that can't have a bad side," said Jane Seeman, mayor of Vienna.
Seeman noted that it was a great honor to have the tree stop in Vienna and that it is the only stop in Fairfax County.
The tree and its smaller companion trees are selected from a different state each year. The large tree is removed from a national forest, so states without national forests do not get a turn. Since the program started in 1970, this is the first time Virginia has had its turn, Wilson said.
Approximately 70 smaller trees will be placed at various locations around the Capitol, such as the Supreme Court and offices of some senators and congressmen.
The tree will stop in Vienna on Sunday, Nov. 28, from 6-8 p.m., adjacent to the Freeman House, 131 Church St. N.E. Besides the tree being on display, the town will have horse-drawn carriage rides and its annual bonfires. "It should be a nice, pleasant evening," Salgado said.