Ideas for new d56 series have a definite 4th of July feel to them

I recently struck up a message thread about new ideas for D56 with the good people over at the Original Department 56 Yahoo! Group, asking them:

"I was thinking about this today, especially with the 4th of July coming, as I usually find myself drinking margaritas with friends on the deck of the National Hotel on Block Island. What a great idea for a New EnglandVillage sub-series. Several of the island's hotels: the National, the Harborside, the Surf Hotel, would be perfect buildings for a set. You could even have the ferry landing and the Block Island Ferry accessory. Around noon on Wednesday, there will be 100s of people standing on the deck of the National Hotel as the annual 4th of July parade goes down the main street, in front of the ferry landing.

What other ideas do you have for buildings/pieces/sets that D56 could make?"

Several people from the group stepped up with the following responses and some wonderful ideas.

Victorian Resort Village: "I really like my Season's Bay BUT... if they would do a grand village in the victorian style I would be a buying! :-) Not Dickens style but a United States style THAT would be wonderful. For me if they put on all the details of porches, gingerbread, snow for this one, sleighs with horses, etc. etc. It would have to be done perfect since I know other companies do this type of thing but not well enough. Would like to see it in porcelain only. Also if they would have an old fashioned amusement park associated with it. Not plastic - again grand and finished to the 9's. Smaller than Season's Bay in scale and more ornate is what I would like to see."

Historical America: "I'd love to see more non-snow covered historical buildings/accessories in HV finish and scale. Things that would be great would be:
The Alamo, Fort McHenry, The Liberty Bell, Betsy Ross' house, The Washington Monument, The Supreme Court, other famous forts/buildings from the American Revolution and the American Civil War (especially some of the Gettysburg landmarks). This would be something D56 could also try to cross-market to toy soldier collectors as well! (And speaking of toy soldiers, D56 could use some more military buildings and accessories for New England Village, like an American Revolutionary War reenactment with grown ups (not just the kids!) or an Armed Services Recruiting Station for CIC.)"

What other ideas do you have for new village buildings, accessories, licensed collections, etc? Please comment below...