Mayberry
Encyclopedia
Mayberry is a fictional community in North Carolina
that was the setting for two American
television
sitcoms, The Andy Griffith Show
and Mayberry R.F.D.
Mayberry was also the setting for a 1986 reunion television movie
titled Return to Mayberry
. It is said to be based on Andy Griffith's hometown, Mount Airy, North Carolina
.
in Shropshire
. Purportedly, Andy Griffith
himself chose the name of the fictional community. According to Betty Lynn
, the actress who played Thelma Lou
, Griffith chose the name Mayberry from the community of Mayberry, Virginia. Mayberry is a real community in Patrick County, Virginia
, located 22 miles northeast of Andy Griffith's hometown of Mount Airy, North Carolina. The Mayberry Trading Post, home of the Mayberry, Virginia post office until it closed in 1922, told local TV station WGHP-TV that Griffith and his father made many trips to the Mayberry Trading Post. Griffith incorporated several community places and names from his childhood home into the show. The term Mayberry is mentioned many a times in television shows such as Cheers
, House, M.D.
, Criminal Minds
, How I Met Your Mother
, and Scrubs
. Griffith, however, told Larry King in 2003 that Artie Stander is who thought of the name Mayberry; Stander was one of the show's creators and writers.
. Out of town bank robbers, scam artists, escaped convicts, and vagrants occasionally found their way to Mayberry. The county and the town share the same name and jurisdiction. We learn in Episode 44 "Sheriff Barney" from the mayor of nearby Greendale that Mayberry County has had the lowest crime rate in the state for two years in a row under Sheriff Taylor. The town only had one long-distance telephone line, as referenced in the episode "Man in a Hurry", that two old ladies shared each Sunday preventing others from using the telephone.
's hometown of Mount Airy, North Carolina
. Griffith has also indicated that nearby Pilot Mountain
, N.C., also in Surry County, North Carolina
, inspired him in creating the town. However, it is more likely that Pilot Mountain was the inspiration for the fictional town of "Mount Pilot", a nearby larger town in relation to Mayberry, often referred to and occasionally visited by the characters in The Andy Griffith Show. The county seat of Surry County is in Dobson
; thus, this is the location of the nearest courthouse to Mount Airy. One episode has a fictional nearby location - "Pierce County." Another episode has Barney Fife referring to himself and Sheriff Taylor as the law west of Mount Pilot.
Other placenames used in the show refer to actual places in North Carolina, such as Raleigh
—which was also often called "Capital City" – Siler City
, and Charlotte
. One of the stars of the show, Frances Bavier
(who played Aunt Bee
) retired to Siler City in real life. In Episode 249 "A Girl For Goober" the towns of Manteo
and Toast
are mentioned. Andy Griffith owns a home in Manteo (on North Carolina's Atlantic coast), and Toast is about 2 miles outside of Mt. Airy in Surry County. Stokes County
, which borders Surry County to the east, is mentioned as the location of Myers Lake in Episode 140 "Andy And Helen Have Their Day". In Episode 62 "Cousin Virgil" the bus picks up Barney's cousin in Currituck. There is a Currituck County in eastern North Carolina. In Episode 17 "Alcohol And Old Lace" while looking for moonshine stills Barney suggests looking into Fancy Gap, VA, a town just across the state line from Mt. Airy, NC. In Episode 60 "Bookie Barber" Aunt Bea states that Floyd's Barbershop has received phone calls from as far away as Morehead City, NC. In Episode 136 "Opie's Fortune" a man from Bannertown, North Carolina
lost $50. Bannertown is a few miles from Mt. Airy in Surry County, NC. In Episode 68 "Barney Mends A Broken Heart" the towns of Harnett and Yancey are mentioned. There is both a Harnett County and a Yancey County in North Carolina.
Examples:
and was the setting for The Andy Griffith Show
, Mayberry RFD and the 1986 reunion movie Return to Mayberry. Although the county seat of an agricultural county, black people
were rarely seen in the original series, but occasionally seen on RFD.
, the actress who played Thelma Lou
, Griffith chose the name Mayberry from the community of Mayberry, Virginia. The Mayberry Trading Post, home of the Mayberry, Virginia post office until it closed in 1922, told local TV station WGHP-TV that Griffith and his father made many trips to the Mayberry Trading Post.
titled "Mayberry". Mayberry is mentioned in the following lyrics "Well I miss Mayberry sitting outside on the porch drinking ice cold Cherry Coke where everything is black and white."
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
that was the setting for two American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
sitcoms, The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom first televised by CBS between October 3, 1960, and April 1, 1968. Andy Griffith portrays a widowed sheriff in the fictional small community of Mayberry, North Carolina...
and Mayberry R.F.D.
Mayberry R.F.D.
Mayberry R.F.D. is a spin-off and direct continuation of The Andy Griffith Show under a new title, for the same sponsor, General Foods...
Mayberry was also the setting for a 1986 reunion television movie
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
titled Return to Mayberry
Return to Mayberry
Return to Mayberry is an American television reunion movie for the 1960s American sitcoms The Andy Griffith Show and, to an extent, Mayberry R.F.D. as well. The movie premiered on April 13, 1986 on NBC, and was the highest-rated telemovie of 1986. Sixteen of the original cast members reunited for...
. It is said to be based on Andy Griffith's hometown, Mount Airy, North Carolina
Mount Airy, North Carolina
Mount Airy is a city in Surry County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,388.-History:Mount Airy was settled in the 1750s as a stagecoach stop on the road between Winston-Salem and Galax, Virginia. It was named for a nearby plantation...
.
The name Mayberry
According to show episodes, the community of Mayberry was named for fictional founder Lord Mayberry. Historically, the word Mayberry is of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and is a locational name, a dialectical variant of the placename MaesburyMaesbury
Maesbury is a small scattered community in Shropshire, England, south of the town of Oswestry, falling within the Oswestry Rural parish.Maesbury traditionally consists of five hamlets: Ball, Gwernybrenin, Newbridge, Maesbury and Maesbury Marsh, though the wider area now includes Aston and...
in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
. Purportedly, Andy Griffith
Andy Griffith
Andy Samuel Griffith is an American actor, director, producer, Grammy Award-winning Southern-gospel singer, and writer. He gained prominence in the starring role in director Elia Kazan's epic film A Face in the Crowd before he became better known for his television roles, playing the lead...
himself chose the name of the fictional community. According to Betty Lynn
Betty Lynn
Betty Lynn is an American actress. She is best known for playing Thelma Lou in The Andy Griffith Show.-Career:...
, the actress who played Thelma Lou
Thelma Lou
Thelma Lou is a character on the American television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show . The character appeared in 26 episodes. Thelma Lou is Barney Fife's girlfriend and is portrayed by Betty Lynn.-Overview:...
, Griffith chose the name Mayberry from the community of Mayberry, Virginia. Mayberry is a real community in Patrick County, Virginia
Patrick County, Virginia
Patrick County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 18,490. Its county seat is Stuart. It is located within both the rolling hills and valleys of the Piedmont Region of Virginia and mountainous Southwest Virginia....
, located 22 miles northeast of Andy Griffith's hometown of Mount Airy, North Carolina. The Mayberry Trading Post, home of the Mayberry, Virginia post office until it closed in 1922, told local TV station WGHP-TV that Griffith and his father made many trips to the Mayberry Trading Post. Griffith incorporated several community places and names from his childhood home into the show. The term Mayberry is mentioned many a times in television shows such as Cheers
Cheers
Cheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC, and was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
, House, M.D.
House (TV series)
House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
, Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds is an American police procedural drama that premiered September 22, 2005, on CBS. The series follows a team of profilers from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico, Virginia. The BAU is part of the FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime...
, How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
, and Scrubs
Scrubs (TV series)
Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
. Griffith, however, told Larry King in 2003 that Artie Stander is who thought of the name Mayberry; Stander was one of the show's creators and writers.
Specific features
Mayberry had one traffic stop and little in the way of indigenous crime save moonshining and bootleggingRum-running
Rum-running, also known as bootlegging, is the illegal business of transporting alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law...
. Out of town bank robbers, scam artists, escaped convicts, and vagrants occasionally found their way to Mayberry. The county and the town share the same name and jurisdiction. We learn in Episode 44 "Sheriff Barney" from the mayor of nearby Greendale that Mayberry County has had the lowest crime rate in the state for two years in a row under Sheriff Taylor. The town only had one long-distance telephone line, as referenced in the episode "Man in a Hurry", that two old ladies shared each Sunday preventing others from using the telephone.
Mayberrians
- Ralph Barton (Charles Lampkin), Friend of Sam Jones (RFD)
- Ernest T. BassErnest T. BassErnest T. Bass was a fictional character on the American TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show. He was played by Howard Morris.Ernest T. was an ignorant and obstreperous mountain man with a penchant for troublemaking, particularly vandalous rock throwing, which wreaked havoc on the otherwise sedentary...
(Howard MorrisHoward MorrisHoward Morris was an American comic actor and director who was best known for his role as Ernest T. Bass on The Andy Griffith Show.- Life and career :...
), a bothersome trouble maker fond of throwing rocks - Emma Brand (Cheerio Meredith http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0580568/), serial jaywalker and hypochondriac
- Emmett Clark (Paul HartmanPaul HartmanPaul Hartman was an American dancer, stage performer and television character actor.-Biography:Born in San Francisco, California, Hartman, like Fred Astaire, began performing as a dancer with his sister...
), Fix-it shop owner - Otis CampbellOtis CampbellOtis Campbell is the fictional "town drunk" in Mayberry on the American TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show. Otis was played by Hal Smith and made frequent appearances on the show from 1960 to 1967,...
(Hal SmithHal Smith (actor)Harold John "Hal" Smith was an American character actor and voice actor. Smith is best known as Otis Campbell, the town drunk on The Andy Griffith Show, and was the voice of many characters on various animated cartoon shorts...
), town drunk and a descendant of a Revolutionary War hero - Old Man Crowley (Burt MustinBurt MustinBurton Hill "Burt" Mustin was an American character actor.-Early life:Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to W. I. and Sadie Mustin, Mustin was a 1903 graduate of the Pennsylvania Military College , earning his degree in civil engineering...
) - Helen CrumpHelen CrumpHelen Crump is a fictional dramatic character on the American television program The Andy Griffith Show . Helen made her debut in the third season episode "Andy Discovers America" . Helen was a schoolteacher and became main character Sheriff Andy Taylor's girlfriend...
(Aneta CorsautAneta CorsautAneta Louise Corsaut was an American actress. She is best known for playing Helen Crump on The Andy Griffith Show ....
), a KansasKansasKansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
transplant, Opie's teacher and Andy's girlfriend (later appearing as his wife in Mayberry R.F.D.Mayberry R.F.D.Mayberry R.F.D. is a spin-off and direct continuation of The Andy Griffith Show under a new title, for the same sponsor, General Foods...
spinoff series) - The DarlingsThe DarlingsThe Darlings were a fictional family of musically-inclined hillbillies in the American TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show.The Darlings lived in a mountain shack somewhere in the mountains neighboring Mayberry...
, a hillbilly family that plays bluegrass music with Andy in several episodes - Clara EdwardsClara EdwardsClara Edwards is a fictional character on the American television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show . Clara was portrayed by actress Hope Summers....
(Hope SummersHope SummersHope Summers was an American character actress known for her work on The Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry RFD, portraying Clara Edwards.-Career:...
), Aunt Bee's best friend - Warren FergusonWarren FergusonWarren Ferguson is a fictional character in the American television program The Andy Griffith Show . Warren Ferguson is portrayed by Jack Burns.-Overview:...
(Jack BurnsJack BurnsJack Burns is an American comedian and voice actor.-Biography:In 1959, he began his career as a comedy team with George Carlin when both were working for radio station KXOL in Fort Worth, Texas...
), a Boston transplant, replacement Deputy (even more inept than Fife) - Barney FifeBarney FifeBernard "Barney" Fife is a fictional character in the American television program The Andy Griffith Show, portrayed by comic actor Don Knotts. Barney Fife is a deputy sheriff in the slow paced, sleepy southern community of Mayberry, North Carolina...
(Don KnottsDon KnottsJesse Donald "Don" Knotts was an American comedic actor best known for his portrayal of Barney Fife on the 1960s television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, a role which earned him five Emmy Awards...
), Andy's lifelong friend (originally portrayed as his cousin in the pilot episode), Deputy Sheriff, later a detective with the Raleigh, NC police department - Charlie Foley (Frank Ferguson), grocer
- Harold Grigsby (Kelly Thordsen), owns the saw mill
- Orville Hendricks (Woodrow Chambliss), butter and egg man from Mount Pilot
- Evan Hendricks (Bobby Diamond), wild driving son of Orville, known to break an egg or two.
- Mike Jones (Buddy Foster), son of Sam Jones (RFD)
- Sam JonesSam Jones (Mayberry R.F.D.)Sam Jones is a fictional character who debuted on the American television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show . Jones then went on to star in the spin-off show Mayberry R.F.D.. Jones is portrayed by American actor Ken Berry.-Overview:...
(Ken BerryKen BerryKenneth Ronald "Ken" Berry is an American dancer, comedic actor and singer. He began on stage as a dancer and later starred in television sitcoms.-Life and career:...
), farmer (RFD) and single parent and widower like Andy, later new Sherriff of Mayberry in Mayberry R.F.D.Mayberry R.F.D.Mayberry R.F.D. is a spin-off and direct continuation of The Andy Griffith Show under a new title, for the same sponsor, General Foods...
spinoff series - Juanita, a waitress at the Bluebird Diner, who is never seen (flirts with Barney over the phone)
- Floyd LawsonFloyd LawsonFloyd Lawson was a fictional character on the American TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, which was inspired by a real barber in Andy Griffith's real-life hometown of Mt. Airy, North Carolina named Russell Hiatt who actually cut Andy Griffith's hair on a regular basis while Andy was young and living...
(Howard McNearHoward McNearHoward Terbell McNear was an American film, television and radio character actor. McNear is best remembered as Floyd Lawson, the barber in The Andy Griffith Show and as Doc Charles Adams in CBS Radio's Gunsmoke .-Career:McNear was born in Los Angeles, California to Luzetta M. Spencer and Franklin...
), barber at Floyd's Barber Shop - Jim Lindsey (James BestJames BestJames Best is an American actor best known for his role as bumbling Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane in the CBS television series The Dukes of Hazzard. He has also worked as an acting coach, artist, and musician.-Early years:...
), talented guitarist who joins Bobby Fleet and His Band with a Beat - Leon (Clint HowardClint HowardClinton "Clint" Howard is an American film and television actor. He is a character actor with numerous brief appearances on television and films. He has played many bit parts in movies directed by his brother, actor-turned-director Ron Howard. He is also the uncle of actress Bryce Dallas Howard...
), a toddler in a cowboy outfit who wandered the streets of Mayberry - Orville Monroe (Jonathan Hole http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0354949/), undertaker
- Mayor Pike (Dick Elliott) mayor in first two seasons of show (1960–61)
- Goober PyleGoober PyleGoober is a fictional character in the American TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show and its later sequel series Mayberry RFD. He was played by George Lindsey. Lindsey initially read for the part of Gomer Pyle, which went to singer Jim Nabors...
(George LindseyGeorge LindseyGeorge Lindsey is an American character actor, best known for his role as "Goober Pyle" on The Andy Griffith Show, as well as for his tenure on Hee-Haw.-Early life and career :...
), auto mechanic at Wally's Garage and Gas Station (later service station owner) - Gomer PyleGomer PyleGomer Pyle is a bubbly, gentle, rural auto mechanic character played by American singer/ television actor Jim Nabors. Gomer Pyle became a character on the TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, when actor Howard McNear, who played Floyd the barber, suffered a stroke and took a respite from acting. Jim...
(Jim NaborsJim NaborsJames Thurston "Jim" Nabors is an American actor and singer. Born and raised in Sylacauga, Alabama, Nabors moved to Southern California because of his asthma. While working at a Santa Monica nightclub, The Horn, he was discovered by Andy Griffith and later joined The Andy Griffith Show, playing...
), service station attendant at Wally's Garage for 3 seasons (1962–64) (left Mayberry to join the Marine Corps in Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.The show renders the title as Gomer Pyle - USMC. is an American situation comedy that originally aired on CBS from September 25, 1964, to May 2, 1969. The series was a spinoff of The Andy Griffith Show, and the pilot was aired as the finale of the fourth season of The Andy...
spinoff series) - Sarah, the often spoken to, but never seen, telephone operator
- Skippy (Joyce JamesonJoyce JamesonJoyce Jameson was an American actress best remembered for her blonde bimbo roles during the Marilyn Monroe period...
) and Daphne (Jean CarsonJean CarsonJean Carson was an American stage, film and television actress best known for her work on the classic 1960s sitcom The Andy Griffith Show as one of the "fun girls".-Biography:Born to Alexander W...
), the Fun GirlsThe Fun GirlsThe Fun Girls were fictional recurring characters on the 1960s American television sitcom, The Andy Griffith Show.... - Howard SpragueHoward SpragueHoward Sprague is a fictional character on the CBS television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show , and its spin-off Mayberry R.F.D. He was played by Jack Dodson from 1966-71....
(Jack DodsonJack DodsonJack Dodson Born John S. Dodson in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was an American television actor best remembered for the milquetoast character Howard Sprague in The Andy Griffith Show and its spin-off Mayberry R.F.D. From 1959 until his death in 1994, Dodson was married to television art director...
), County Clerk - Roy Stoner (Parley BaerParley BaerParley Edward Baer was an American actor in film, television, and radio.-Radio:Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Baer had a circus background, but began his radio career at Utah station KSL...
)http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0512595/, Mayor of Mayberry for 3 seasons (1962–64), replacing Mayor Pike - Millie Swanson (Arlene GolonkaArlene GolonkaArlene Golonka is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for playing Millie Swanson on the television comedies The Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry R.F.D., and often portrayed bubbly, eccentric blondes in supporting character roles on stage, film, and television.-Early years:Golonka was...
), bakery clerk (RFD) - Andy Taylor (Andy GriffithAndy GriffithAndy Samuel Griffith is an American actor, director, producer, Grammy Award-winning Southern-gospel singer, and writer. He gained prominence in the starring role in director Elia Kazan's epic film A Face in the Crowd before he became better known for his television roles, playing the lead...
), sheriff and widowed father - Beatrice Taylor (Frances BavierFrances BavierFrances Elizabeth Bavier was an American stage and television actress. Originally from the New York theatre, Bavier worked in film and television from the 1950s...
), Andy's aunt, known as Aunt Bee - Opie TaylorOpie TaylorOpie Taylor is a fictional character in the American television program, The Andy Griffith Show which was televised on CBS from October 3, 1960 to April 1, 1968...
(Ronny HowardRon HowardRonald William "Ron" Howard is an American actor, director, and producer. He came to prominence as a child actor, playing Opie Taylor in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show for eight years, and later the teenaged Richie Cunningham in the sitcom Happy Days for six years...
), Andy's son - Thelma LouThelma LouThelma Lou is a character on the American television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show . The character appeared in 26 episodes. Thelma Lou is Barney Fife's girlfriend and is portrayed by Betty Lynn.-Overview:...
(Betty LynnBetty LynnBetty Lynn is an American actress. She is best known for playing Thelma Lou in The Andy Griffith Show.-Career:...
), Barney's sweetheart, occupation unknown - Ellie Walker (Elinor Donahue), pharmacist and one time love interest of Andy
- Ben Weaver (Will WrightWill Wright (actor)William Henry "Will" Wright was an American character actor. He was frequently cast in curmudgeonly roles. He was sometimes credited as Will J. Wright....
), the flint-hearted store owner and landlord
Real-life models
Many towns in North Carolina have been proposed as "the original Mayberry," but many assume Mayberry was loosely based on Andy GriffithAndy Griffith
Andy Samuel Griffith is an American actor, director, producer, Grammy Award-winning Southern-gospel singer, and writer. He gained prominence in the starring role in director Elia Kazan's epic film A Face in the Crowd before he became better known for his television roles, playing the lead...
's hometown of Mount Airy, North Carolina
Mount Airy, North Carolina
Mount Airy is a city in Surry County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,388.-History:Mount Airy was settled in the 1750s as a stagecoach stop on the road between Winston-Salem and Galax, Virginia. It was named for a nearby plantation...
. Griffith has also indicated that nearby Pilot Mountain
Pilot Mountain, North Carolina
Pilot Mountain is a town in Surry County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,477 at the 2010 census. It is named for the nearby landmark of Pilot Mountain, a distinctive geological formation...
, N.C., also in Surry County, North Carolina
Surry County, North Carolina
Surry County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2010, the population was 73,673. Its county seat is Dobson.- History :The county was formed in 1771 from Rowan County...
, inspired him in creating the town. However, it is more likely that Pilot Mountain was the inspiration for the fictional town of "Mount Pilot", a nearby larger town in relation to Mayberry, often referred to and occasionally visited by the characters in The Andy Griffith Show. The county seat of Surry County is in Dobson
Dobson, North Carolina
Dobson is a town in Dobson Township, Surry County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 1,457. It is the county seat of Surry County...
; thus, this is the location of the nearest courthouse to Mount Airy. One episode has a fictional nearby location - "Pierce County." Another episode has Barney Fife referring to himself and Sheriff Taylor as the law west of Mount Pilot.
Other placenames used in the show refer to actual places in North Carolina, such as Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
—which was also often called "Capital City" – Siler City
Siler City, North Carolina
Siler City is a town in Chatham County, North Carolina, United States. The population is right at 8,747 within corporate limits and 14,005 within corporate limits and ETJ...
, and Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
. One of the stars of the show, Frances Bavier
Frances Bavier
Frances Elizabeth Bavier was an American stage and television actress. Originally from the New York theatre, Bavier worked in film and television from the 1950s...
(who played Aunt Bee
Aunt Bee
Beatrice Taylor is a fictional character from the 1960s American television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show. The show was televised on CBS from October 3, 1960, until April 1, 1968...
) retired to Siler City in real life. In Episode 249 "A Girl For Goober" the towns of Manteo
Manteo, North Carolina
Manteo is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States, located on Roanoke Island. The population was 1,052 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Dare County.-Geography:...
and Toast
Toast, North Carolina
Toast is a census-designated place in Surry County, North Carolina, United States, located just west of Mount Airy, North Carolina. The population was 1,922 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Toast is located at ....
are mentioned. Andy Griffith owns a home in Manteo (on North Carolina's Atlantic coast), and Toast is about 2 miles outside of Mt. Airy in Surry County. Stokes County
Stokes County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 44,711 people, 17,579 households, and 13,043 families residing in the county. The population density was 99 people per square mile . There were 19,262 housing units at an average density of 43 per square mile...
, which borders Surry County to the east, is mentioned as the location of Myers Lake in Episode 140 "Andy And Helen Have Their Day". In Episode 62 "Cousin Virgil" the bus picks up Barney's cousin in Currituck. There is a Currituck County in eastern North Carolina. In Episode 17 "Alcohol And Old Lace" while looking for moonshine stills Barney suggests looking into Fancy Gap, VA, a town just across the state line from Mt. Airy, NC. In Episode 60 "Bookie Barber" Aunt Bea states that Floyd's Barbershop has received phone calls from as far away as Morehead City, NC. In Episode 136 "Opie's Fortune" a man from Bannertown, North Carolina
Bannertown, North Carolina
Bannertown is an unincorporated community in Surry County, North Carolina just outside the city of Mount Airy . The community is centered around the intersection of Business U.S. Highway 52 and North Carolina Highway 89...
lost $50. Bannertown is a few miles from Mt. Airy in Surry County, NC. In Episode 68 "Barney Mends A Broken Heart" the towns of Harnett and Yancey are mentioned. There is both a Harnett County and a Yancey County in North Carolina.
Becomes a generic term
Due to the success and notoriety of the television show, "Mayberry" has been used as a term for both idyllic small town life and for rural simplicity (for both good and ill).Examples:
TV-Shows
- In an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Mister Trick says that the high death count in SunnydaleSunnydaleSunnydale, California is the fictional setting for the U.S. television drama Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Series creator Joss Whedon conceived the town as a representation of a generic California city, as well as a narrative parody of the all-too-serene towns typical in traditional horror...
"makes D.C. look...like Mayberry." - In the episode "Blood Money" of the TV-Show StingrayStingray (NBC TV series)Stingray is an NBC television series produced by Stephen J. Cannell that ran from 1985 to 1987. It stars Nick Mancuso, who plays the mysterious character known only as Ray, whose trademark is a black 1965 Corvette Sting Ray.-Plot:...
aired in 1987, the reply to a white teacher (the hero of the show) saying: "Where I come from, we do not talk to teachers that way." by one of his blackBlack peopleThe term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
students is: "Where is that? - Mayberry?!" (9min-10min) - In the episode "The Angriest Angel, Part 2" of the Science fictionScience fictionScience fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
TV-Show Space: Above and BeyondSpace: Above and BeyondSpace: Above and Beyond was a short-lived mid-90s American science fiction television show on the FOX Network, created and written by Glen Morgan and James Wong. Originally planned for five seasons, it ran only for the single 1995–1996 season. It was nominated for two Emmy Awards and one Saturn...
aired in 1996 the commanding officer of the 58th squadron Lt. Col. Tyrus Cassius "T. C." McQueen belonging to a minority of genetically engineered humans called InVitroInVitroIn Vitroes are a fictional genetically engineered subspecies of humans in the science fiction television series Space: Above and Beyond. The name is etymologically derived from the Latin phrase "in vitro", which is used in science to refer to state of being in an artificial environment outside the...
s gets into an argument with his subordinates for a lack of formal respect being referred to as a "guy" by one of them. He answers with the following lines: "Guy?! What do you think, we're back on the blocks smokin' and jokin'? Hear this loud and clear, Marine. I am not your guy. I am not your joe. I am not your damn drinking buddy. And I sure as hell am not a mark in a singles bar. You hear this, C.F.B. I am not here to make friends! When this war ends and you go back to raising money for charity and you're eating dogs at Wrigley - and you go back to Mayberry - I'm still going to be out here - waiting for the next one. That's why I'm here." (8min-10min) - In the episode "Blood Hungry" of the crime drama "Criminal MindsCriminal MindsCriminal Minds is an American police procedural drama that premiered September 22, 2005, on CBS. The series follows a team of profilers from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico, Virginia. The BAU is part of the FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime...
" Elle states "Four churches in four blocks.. you ever feel like you just stepped into Mayberry?" - In the episode "Town of Tonopah" of the reality show "Rhett and Link: Commercial Kings", Rhett says "Is this like Mayberry?
Origins and expansion
Mayberry originated in an episode of The Danny Thomas ShowThe Danny Thomas Show
The Danny Thomas Show is an American sitcom which ran from 1953-1957 on ABC and from 1957-1964 on CBS...
and was the setting for The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom first televised by CBS between October 3, 1960, and April 1, 1968. Andy Griffith portrays a widowed sheriff in the fictional small community of Mayberry, North Carolina...
, Mayberry RFD and the 1986 reunion movie Return to Mayberry. Although the county seat of an agricultural county, black people
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
were rarely seen in the original series, but occasionally seen on RFD.
Eponymous real life community
Mayberry is the name of a real community in Patrick County, Virginia; located 22 miles northeast of Andy Griffith's hometown of Mount Airy, North Carolina. According to Betty LynnBetty Lynn
Betty Lynn is an American actress. She is best known for playing Thelma Lou in The Andy Griffith Show.-Career:...
, the actress who played Thelma Lou
Thelma Lou
Thelma Lou is a character on the American television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show . The character appeared in 26 episodes. Thelma Lou is Barney Fife's girlfriend and is portrayed by Betty Lynn.-Overview:...
, Griffith chose the name Mayberry from the community of Mayberry, Virginia. The Mayberry Trading Post, home of the Mayberry, Virginia post office until it closed in 1922, told local TV station WGHP-TV that Griffith and his father made many trips to the Mayberry Trading Post.
Public buildings
- The Mayberry Courthouse — Where Sheriff Andy Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife maintained law and order. It also contained the county jail—two cells, a back room and the Mayor's office upstairs. No inside stairs are seen, although there is an outside fire escapeFire escapeA fire escape is a special kind of emergency exit, usually mounted to the outside of a building or occasionally inside but separate from the main areas of the building. It provides a method of escape in the event of a fire or other emergency that makes the stairwells inside a building inaccessible...
. Aside from Andy Taylor's home, this was the main setting for The Andy Griffith Show. - Mayberry Savings Bank—the town's only bank, which is often subject to robberies. It contains a large vault, and its only security guard is a senile man named Asa, who is constantly sleeping and whose fall-apart dilapidated gun is filled with moldy bullets. {A plot holePlot holeA plot hole, or plothole, is a gap or inconsistency in a storyline that goes against the flow of logic established by the story's plot, or constitutes a blatant omission of relevant information regarding the plot...
is, that in one episode, the vault combination was lost so an extra door was put in the vault. In another episode, Barney Fife gets himself locked in the safe and only escapes by breaking the wall between the vault and the next door beauty parlor!} - U.S. Post Office—the town's only post office
- Mayberry Union High School—the high school from which Andy and Barney graduated
Houses
- Taylor House is a humble, yet handsome, two-story frame house at 332 Maple Road, a short walk from the courthouse. Notable features include a front porch with a swing—perfect for conversation and guitar playing, a back porch with an extra refrigerator, and a living room with a high ceiling and rough-hewn (rusticated ashlar) stone fireplace.
- Mrs. Mendalbright's Rooming House—Barney Fife boards upstairs and his landlady is Mrs. Mendalbright.
- Thelma Lou's House—the home of Thelma Lou, Barney's girlfriend.
- Helen Crump's House—the home of Helen Crump, Andy's girlfriend and Opie's teacher.
- Mrs. Wiley's House—the home of Mrs. Wiley, which is frequently subject to parties, two of which were crashed by Ernest T. Bass.
Entertainment venues
- The Grand Theatre—The movie theater where Andy and Barney often took their girlfriends (Helen CrumpHelen CrumpHelen Crump is a fictional dramatic character on the American television program The Andy Griffith Show . Helen made her debut in the third season episode "Andy Discovers America" . Helen was a schoolteacher and became main character Sheriff Andy Taylor's girlfriend...
and Thelma LouThelma LouThelma Lou is a character on the American television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show . The character appeared in 26 episodes. Thelma Lou is Barney Fife's girlfriend and is portrayed by Betty Lynn.-Overview:...
, respectively) on dates.
Commercial buildings
- Walker's Drug Store — This was the town drug store and soda shop owned by Fred Walker. His niece Ellie, also a pharmacist worked there for a while and was Andy's first girlfriend (played by Elinor Donahue) on the show. In the early episodes, characters often talked about "going to Walker's for an ice cream soda."
- Floyd's Barber Shop — Run by the scatterbrained Floyd LawsonFloyd LawsonFloyd Lawson was a fictional character on the American TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, which was inspired by a real barber in Andy Griffith's real-life hometown of Mt. Airy, North Carolina named Russell Hiatt who actually cut Andy Griffith's hair on a regular basis while Andy was young and living...
, it was the main center of action in Mayberry. On any given day, it was not unusual to see many of the town's important figures, including the Mayor and the Sheriff, gathered here. - Foley's Grocery - Run by Mr. Foley. where Aunt Bee and her friends shop.
- Emmett's Fix-it Shop — Handyman Emmett Clark's business replaced Floyd's when Howard McNearHoward McNearHoward Terbell McNear was an American film, television and radio character actor. McNear is best remembered as Floyd Lawson, the barber in The Andy Griffith Show and as Doc Charles Adams in CBS Radio's Gunsmoke .-Career:McNear was born in Los Angeles, California to Luzetta M. Spencer and Franklin...
left the show. - Weaver's Department Store — Run by the miserly Ben Weaver.
- Wally's Filling Station — The town's only known gas station, it employed cousins Gomer PyleGomer PyleGomer Pyle is a bubbly, gentle, rural auto mechanic character played by American singer/ television actor Jim Nabors. Gomer Pyle became a character on the TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, when actor Howard McNear, who played Floyd the barber, suffered a stroke and took a respite from acting. Jim...
and GooberGoober PyleGoober is a fictional character in the American TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show and its later sequel series Mayberry RFD. He was played by George Lindsey. Lindsey initially read for the part of Gomer Pyle, which went to singer Jim Nabors...
. It also served as the town's auto repair garage.
Places to eat
- Bluebird Diner — This was the restaurant where Barney was often seen calling to talk to his secret love, the enigmatic waitress "Juanita." A man named Frank owns the diner. It is located on the outskirts of Mayberry, near Myer's Lake.
- Snappy Lunch — A Mayberry diner named after a real eatery that still serves lunch in Mount Airy, North Carolina.
To Eat and stay
- Mayberry Hotel — Where out-of-towners often stayed, the Mayberry Hotel was also where choir director John Masters was employed.
Physical landmarks
- Myer's Lake — As seen in the opening credits of The Andy Griffith Show, it was the place Andy and Opie Taylor went fishing, and where Barney often drove with Thelma Lou for their "romantic getaways." The fictional lake was mentioned on the show as being located in Stokes County, North Carolina. Stokes County is a real county next to Surry County where Andy Griffith was born and raised.
In popular culture
In a recent song by Rascal FlattsRascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts is an American country music band that originated in Columbus, Ohio, United States of America. Since its inception, Rascal Flatts has been composed of three members: Gary LeVox , Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney...
titled "Mayberry". Mayberry is mentioned in the following lyrics "Well I miss Mayberry sitting outside on the porch drinking ice cold Cherry Coke where everything is black and white."