Tragedy struck the Earles family in 1933 when their daughter passed away as a result of illness
In one cemetery in rural Alabama, USA lies the grave of a young girl – but it’s no ordinary remembrance of the life that was lost, as it is in the form of a giant doll’s house that has been stood for almost a century.
For little Nadine Earles, life ended quickly in the small town of Lanett and tragically so, with the child not seeing in her fifth birthday.
The year was 1933, Christmas was just one week away.
The Earles family outside the completed giant doll house (TikTok/@adventuresintohx)
All Nadine wanted for the festive period was a doll house to play with her toys in, but the little girl sadly never saw the big day come, with Nadine dying from diphtheria exactly one week before on 18 December, as per Mausoleums.com.
Despite not being able to receive her doll house on Christmas itself, her dad Julian Earles went one step further and gave her the ultimate send off.
Gone was the wooden toy and in its place, a giant doll house made out of brick, fit with proper windows and a door, all of which took her father 18 months to complete.
On what would have been her fifth birthday on 3 April, 1934, crowds gathered outside the doll house to celebrate Nadine’s life, with cake and ice cream on offer to those present.
Nadine Earles father built the house to honour his daughter (TikTok/@adventuresintohx)
Inside, Nadine’s personal items were placed, including a pram, tricycle, toys, and high chair, and they remain there to this day.
Her belongings are also alongside Nadine’s actual burial spot and headstone, which have dolls placed on top.
Dad Julian maintained the grave until his death in 1976, with Nadine’s mother, Alma, doing the same until she passed away in 1981. Both their graves are next to the doll house itself.
After the death of both of Nadine’s parents, the grave was taken on board by Lanett city council, which maintains it to this day as a local historical landmark.
Inside the doll house, where Nadine’s tomb lies (TikTok/@adventuresintohx)
For locals, it has become something they involve in annual celebrations, with presents left for Nadine at Christmas and donations pushed through the mailbox.
To this day, a photo of the completed giant doll house remains inside the building itself, with Nadine’s family and friends stood in front of it to celebrate the poignant moment on what would have been her fifth birthday.
A video of the grave has gone viral on TikTok, with people leaving their own comments to the Earles family.
“That is beautiful,” one user wrote. “RIP little Nadine Earles. RIP to your parents as well.”
Another said: “Windows sparkle. No cobwebs. White material looks clean. Someone maintains this very well.”
A third said: “This is my home day, the locals decorate it for the holidays and kids take her stuff for her birthday to this day!”
And a fourth added: “Credit to whoever is still taking care of the grave. It still looks new.”
Featured Image Credit: TikTok/@adventuresintohx
