Hampton Hotels Heads to Mayberry to Fix Up
The Andy Griffith Show�s Old City Jail
| MCLEAN, Va. - In 1960, the first episode of The Andy Griffith Show
aired, and Sheriff Andy Taylor, Deputy Barney Fife, Opie, and Aunt Bee
won over the hearts of viewers everywhere. The quaint, fictional town of
Mayberry felt like home for many. Now, fans can visit familiar Mayberry
landmarks in Mount Airy, N.C., Andy Griffith�s hometown. The historic Old
City Jail is one such place, and today local volunteers from Hampton Hotels�
Save-A-Landmark program (www.hamptonlandmarks.com) will help to restore
this historic site. The jail is the 48th landmark to be refurbished in
the 39th state through the Save-A-Landmark program.
More than 20 volunteers gathered from local Hampton Hotels throughout
North Carolina to help preserve the site in time for the town�s annual
Mayberry Days festival. The work included general cleaning of the facility,
painting, and landscaping. Hampton Hotels� Save-A-Landmark program will
donate $10,000 to the Old City Jail for future refurbishment efforts including
renewed flooring at the site. Hampton also surprised the local Jones Intermediate
School of Mount Airy with a check for $5,000 to help buy new books and
supplies for the school�s library. Spokesperson Chris Epting, author &
pop-culture historian, also spoke to the 4th grade class at Jones Intermediate
School about the importance of preserving their local community.
�The Andy Griffith Show is truly a representation of American life in
the 1960s,� said Judy Christa-Cathey, vice president of global brand marketing
for Hampton Hotels. �I can still remember watching the show with my family
as a child and feeling a connection to those characters and the town of
Mayberry. Hampton Hotels� Save-A-Landmark program is helping to ensure
that the Old City Jail and the spirit of Mayberry are carried on for future
generations to enjoy.�
Old City Jail was home to Mount Airy�s real jail for many years and
served as its Municipal Building, which housed many city offices and the
local police department. Several years ago, the offices moved to a new
Municipal Building and the town re-created the Old City Jail. Mount Airy
is Andy Griffith�s hometown and is reflected in many ways in The Andy Griffith
Show�s town of Mayberry. Every year, fans can celebrate Mayberry�s charm
during Mount Airy�s annual festival, Mayberry Days. Mayberry Days is held
September 24-27 and offers activities for the whole family, such as tribute
actors like �The Deputy� and �Floyd the Barber,� local bands playing The
Andy Griffith Show theme songs, and old-fashioned soda pop for all to enjoy. |
| Volunteers Tambra Redding (bottom) and Chris Epting clean the Old City
Jail in Mount Airy, N.C., in preparation for the next day's event Thurs.,
Sept. 17, 2009 when more than a dozen volunteers from Hampton(R) Hotels'
Save-A-Landmark(R) program will be cleaning, painting and landscaping.
This is the seventh landmark for the 2009 "All-American Landmarks" campaign.
(Photo by Robin Weiner) |
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The Old City Jail is Hampton�s seventh landmark to be restored in 2009
as part of the �All-American Landmarks� campaign. This year, Hampton is
devoted to restoring sites that represent what it means to be American,
just like Mayberry�s Old City Jail as well as others like the Steamboat
Belle of Louisville in Louisville, Ky. and the Neon Museum in Las Vegas,
Nev. Each site that Save-A-Landmark will refurbish reflects the individual
personalities of the states and their residents and signifies defining
moments in the country�s past.
Communities across the country showed their American spirit by casting
thousands of votes to help elect the nine landmarks that will be restored
this year. The public voted for their favorite �All-American Landmarks�
in nine states, including Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire,
North Carolina, Oregon, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Over the years, Hampton has worked to preserve 47 other historical,
fun and cultural landmarks from the Carousel Gardens in New Orleans, La.
to the historical National Monument to the Forefathers in Plymouth, Mass.
During this time, the program has helped research landmarks in need, promoted
landmark sites and their importance, facilitated tens of thousands of volunteer
hours, donated several tons of supplies and worked with matching grants
� all at an investment of more than $3.5 million. Uniting its hotels together
in the communities they serve, Hampton employee-volunteers work hand-in-hand
on the landmarks while Hampton provides the financial support to refurbish
selected sites. The Save-A-Landmark program has already successfully refurbished
a landmark in 38 states, continuing on with the ultimate goal to �save�
a landmark from each of the 50 states by the end of 2010.
About Hampton Hotels
Hampton, which includes Hampton Inn, Hampton by Hilton and Hampton
Inn & Suites hotels, is a mid-priced leader in the lodging segment.
Hampton is part of Hilton Hotels Corporation, a leading global hospitality
company based in McLean, VA, with more than 3,300 hotels and 550,000 rooms
in 77 countries and more than 130,000 team members worldwide. The company
owns, manages or franchises some of the best known and highly regarded
hotel brands including Hilton, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Doubletree,
Embassy Suites Hotels, Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, Hilton Garden
Inn, Hilton Grand Vacations, Homewood Suites by Hilton, the Waldorf Astoria
and the Waldorf Astoria Collection, as well as the recently launched Home2
Suites by Hilton. The company also manages the world-class guest reward
program Hilton HHonors. For more information about the company, please
visit www.hiltonfamily.com.
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