Les Jones

It's pretty country out that way. If you ever get all the way over to Raleigh, give me a holler.

I didn't realize you lived over that way. If I wasn't a Tennesseean, I wouldn't mind being a North Carolinian.

Yep. And vice versa; the wife and I both used to live in Nashville, and we really liked it there.

Yes, Mount Airy is Mayberry -- sort of. Andy Griffith grew up here, learned to play guitar and sing at the church around the corner from my house, ate hotdogs at Snappy Lunch and could easily see "Mount Pilot" (actually, Pilot Mountain) from his school.

But Mayberry, if it exists at all, came out of Griffith's imagination and was built on a back lot in Hollywood.

During a visit two years ago, Andy talked about his years growing up in Mount Airy and concluded, "Sounds like Mayberry, don't it?"

The connection makes us a tourist attraction, but we try not to let that go to our heads. It's a beautiful town in a lovely area with lots of other sites and activities. And the live music here is unbelievable if you're a fan of old-time, bluegrass and gospel.

Steve Welker

Steve Welker has only lived in Mount Airy for about 2 years,so his history of the area is slightly lacking."Our" heads??? In Mr. Welkers role as a professional journalist(editor of our local paper) makes him quick to pontificate about his knowledge of all things Mayberry,some of which are incomplete.In Mr.Griffiths trip here 2 years ago, he made a speech which noted that Mount Airy was indeed his inspiration for much of the mythical Mayberry,and noted names of residents and places used in the show.The people who come to Mayberry Days are wonderful.They all have a bright cheerful demeanor and I for one are proud to welcome them to my home town. My wife and I have breakfast each year every Sunday moning of the last day of Mayberry Days with a couple from Harland Kentucky and have made great friends with them. They have been to Mayberry Days 14 years straight.The area must have some appeal,after all, Mayberry Days draws 30,000 people a day and the Andy Griffith Museum/Visitors center attracts around 80,000 signed in guests a year.If you came to Mayberry Days 1997-2004,you would have seen me driving the 1950 Studebaker pictured above in the Saturday morning Mayberry Days parade.This little town is a great place to live.

My father is from Mt Airy and I have a lot of family who still lives there. It is my home away from home. I try to visit 3 to 4 times a year.
The small town atmosphere is the greatest gift to me. When I was a child the big thing to do on
Saturday was to go downtown and ride down Rose's hill. The people who live there are the most friendly around. The mountains in the backdrop are a welcome sight. When I am fortunate enough to get away and as I am driving up Rt 52 and I see
Pilot Mountain I know I am getting close to my little piece of heaven called Mt Airy.

I'am trying to find an address for Andy Griffith. My father is related to Andy Griffith, and althought my father has passed away we would still like to write him. My dad was from MT.Airy North Carolina, and Andy Griffiths dad and my dads dad were brothers. My dad never met him because my grandfather died from kidney disease and my dad was taken in by the Younger family also from MT. Airy where they still reside.

please e-mail with an address
thanking you in advance
Ellen Dickerson

I'm actually from Mount Airy and the sad truth is lots of people come thinking its the real thing. I guess its an ok place but growing up there, there's not much to do...except super Wal-mart..woo freaking hoo.
Well, I know this probably doesn't make much of a difference but Andy Griffith actually lives in Nags Head. He doesn't come back much, I think people had to beg him to come back so they could dedicate Hwy 52 to him and it's now renamed the Andy Griffith Parkway. There is another reason that he doesn't come back but I won't go into that. The sad thing is, there are actually other historic attractions. There are a number of Victorian houses if you're into that sort of thing that you can tour. It's also where Eng and Chang Bunker also raised family. Also it's the home of some fiddlers such as Benton Flippen who is in the Local Regional Museum in Raleigh, also turns out to be one of my relatives. Mount Airy is the small town, where everyone knows everyone and you end up being related to everyone.

Can you give us information on the proposed statue for Barney Fife?

I live in Mt. Airy and one of the most unbeliviable thhings is the tourists. if they lived here they wouldnt love it so much. i can promise you that. but its fun to go on vacation and tell people youre from mayberry or wear a Mt. Airy shirt and have people ask about Andy Griffith or try to figure where theyve heard it before. As for attractions the granite quarry is a pretty big thing. and by the way steve welker and his family have been in town for at least four years. i should know i go to school with his son.

a follow up to jo s question is there any info about barney statue and does anyone know if anything or anyone truly special at mayberry days this year thanks

I'm hoping someone reads this who lives around Mt. Airy or Mt. Pilot, N.C. Today (Aug. 8, 2006) my husband and I met a man named JEFFREY (not sure of spelling) who, with his little dog LEXUS, is carrying a big, wooden cross and is WALKING TO SAN FRANCISCO from PT. PILOT, N.C.
I just hope someone knows his mother, and can tell her that we saw him in Escalon, Calif. which is about 200 miles east from San Francisco. Jeffrey appears to be doing fine. He had just had a good lunch of hamburger & fries, and stopped to talk with us about Jesus. He is the most positive, Jesus-filled, obedient-to-God man that we have ever met - and we have been truly blessed by meeting him! Tell his mom.

The Barney statue looks interesting based on pictures I've seen. It looks like a little girl is pointing at an area in his pants. As far as I know there's some debate between his family and Mount Airy as whether they'll be allowed to have the statue, but Mount Airy is still working on it. Mayberry Days is bleh. I recommend Autumn Leaves festival during the second weekend of October. It's this huge crafts fair with bluegrass music and it takes up all of downtown (which isn't that big to begin with). I like to go for the food and eat my way down the street. :-)

This message is for Caitlin. Before you respond to peoples comments, read the dates. He said that they had only been in town for 2 years, that was in 2004. You posted your comment in 2006. Do the math.

I wanted to send Andy a get well card. I tried sending one to Mt. Airy, N.C. but it came back for insufficient addrress. I hope everybody who has watched Andy and gotten so much pleasure and happiness from his movies and t.v. series will let him know we are all wishing him a speedy recovery from the broken hip. This type injury can be very serious in the elderly and it helps to keep up their morale and let them know we are thinking of them and love them. I will try sending him another card at the William Morris Agency in Beverly Hills, Ca. but if anyone knows his actual address please send it to my email address. Thank you. Bernice Lingenfelter

Hey Brittany, thanks for pointing out the dates so I'll return the favor and point out the comments that I was actually replying to and I'll also point out the fact that I don't look at this site everyday, I just happened to stumble across something about my hometown and because there are different perspectives about it, I had to comment about it.

Does anyone who lives in Mount Airy happen to know when the Mount Airy Chair Company began and ended? I bought a chair last week from a yard sale with the paper label(with the above company) on the base still,looks old and had 4 different layers of material covering the seat. I always and still do love the Andy Griffith show,reminds me of the village i grew up in.

Hey Brittany, thanks for pointing out the dates so I'll return the favor and point out the comments that I was actually replying to and I'll also point out the fact that I don't look at this site everyday, I just happened to stumble across something about my hometown and because there are different perspectives about it, I had to comment about it.

Can you give us information on the proposed statue for Barney Fife?

I have a Mount Airy Chair Company buffet with a faded paper label dated ?49. Does anyone have any information/history on the company?