Those outside the Enesco family ... Potter's Mill from the Target Bedford Falls collection.

  The Enesco series is just one of at least five villages that are based on the It's a Wonderful Life film. I believe (obviously) that the best of these is the Enesco collection but one of its limitations is the number of buildings in the collection as they stopped after only five releases. Thus, there are some buildings that I wanted for my own Bedford Falls that required stepping outside of the Enesco universe. They had to be a building that wasn't part of that collection, yet filled a gap in the town I wanted to recreate. Thus, one of those was the Potter's Mill building that offered a unique look at some of Mr. Potter's method of income outside the banking element so visible in the film. It does not have a specific reference in the film, but one does not have to stretch very hard at all to imagine the Potter family owning and operating a Mill, likely connected to keeping workers paying his rents in the actual referenced Potter's fields. The closets thing relating to the film would be George's reference to Sam about some of the older employers in Bedford Falls, specifically a machinery and tool shop. During their famous exchange on the phone George mentioned:

"Oh, I don't know . . . why not right here? You remember that old tool and machinery works? You tell your father he can get that for a song. And all the labor he wants, too. Half the town was thrown out of work when they closed down."

Now the Mill is labeled for lumber supply but given that Bedford Falls used to have a tool and machinery works, that infrastructure probably was related or connected to our Potter's Mill. So goes my logic and line of thinking.

Anyway here are some quick looks at that the Mill. .

Front facing

Side facing with Mill wheel

Reverse facing with loading doors

Side facing:

Roof view: lack of snow consistent on Enesco buildings is frustrating. 

Angle view: Scale is off but worth having the building in set. 

Front Door

Of course Mr. Potter would have his name in larger lettering

Closer look at the Mill Wheel. I would place a water or river set piece under this section for effect. 

Box Top. Target village had more detail on their boxes

Box Front. 

Box side. 

Snow

  So the building offers a piece that Enesco doesn't fill. The scale is off somewhat and I normally place it on a 'hill' or on the edges of the village setup to offset this somewhat. Also, the Enesco villages are happily covered in snow as you would imagine from the film ending scene (See nearby photos). For some reason this Target building missed that plot point and the roof only has a few spots.

I normally put Potter's mansion near as I like to think he kept a close eye on his interests. There is a light allowing for it to light up with the other buildings as well. Overall worth adding to your village for conversation piece, and adds more depth to my collection than say the Post Office or City Hall even.

Peter Bailey: "Times are bad, Mr. Potter. A lot of these people are out of work."

Potter "Then foreclose!" 

Peter Bailey "I can't do that. These families have children" 

Potter " They're not my children"