| Mount Airy, North Carolina |
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GEOGRAPHY Mount Airy is located at (36.500756, -80.609311), along the Ararat River . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 21.7 Km&2 (8.4 Mi&2 ), all land. Mount Airy's nickname, "The Granite City", derives from its most prominent natural feature, the nearby Granite quarry located on the outskirts of the city in the neighborhood of Flat Rock . The quarry, mined continuously since 1889 , is the largest open-face granite quarry in the world and is operated by the North Carolina Granite Corporation. DEMOGRAPHICS As of the Census of 2000, there were 8,484 people, 3,667 households, and 2,130 families residing in the city. The Population Density was 390.4/km&2 (1,010.8/mi&2). There were 4,129 housing units at an average density of 190.0/km&2 (491.9/mi&2). The racial makeup of the city was 85.34% White , 7.99% African American , 0.35% Native American , 2.55% Asian , 0.05% Pacific Islander , 2.49% from Other Races , and 1.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.87% of the population. There were 3,667 households out of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.6% were Married Couples living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.9% were non-families. 38.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.87. In the city the population was spread out with 21.6% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 25.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 84.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $26,910, and the median income for a family was $33,412. Males had a median income of $27,299 versus $24,830 for females. The Per Capita Income for the city was $17,237. About 17.4% of families and 19.9% of the population were below the Poverty Line , including 24.7% of those under age 18 and 20.7% of those age 65 or over. MAYBERRY Mount Airy was the birthplace and childhood home of American actor Andy Griffith , and is widely believed to be the inspiration for the fictional community Mayberry , the setting of '' The Andy Griffith Show '' and its sequel, '' Mayberry RFD ''. Although Griffith himself often denied the connection, several locations and names mentioned in both shows reflect real places and people in or near Mount Airy, including Mount Pilot (nearby Pilot Mountain and the Town Named For It ) and Snappy Lunch, a restaurant which still operates in the city's downtown area and is famous for its Pork Chop sandwich. The community holds an annual "Mayberry Days" celebration during the last weekend of September; the celebration regularly attracts thousands of visitors from around the world. The great majority of Mount Airy's residents normally take pride in the Mayberry theme, but some others are embarrassed by the association. Some citizens would prefer to see Mount Airy disassociate itself from the Mayberry link and market its own rich heritage. In any case, Mount Airy itself looks nothing like the fictional Mayberry, as '' The Andy Griffith Show '' and '' Mayberry RFD '' were filmed entirely in Hollywood, California , on the RKO Pictures backlot called "Forty Acres" . BLUEGRASS AND OLD-TIME MUSIC The home of Old-time Music legend Tommy Jarrell and Country Singer Donna Fargo , Mount Airy has a long history with regional music. Mount Airy's WPAQ 740 AM Radio is one of the few Bluegrass and Old-Time music stations still operating and has been airing the live radio show Merry-Go-Round from the Downtown Cinema Theatre since 1948 . Weekly bluegrass Jam Session s at The Andy Griffith Playhouse and the annual Old Time Fiddlers' Convention also serve to attract old-time musicians from across the region and the world. CHANG AND ENG BUNKER Mount Airy was also the home of the famous Siamese Twins , Chang And Eng Bunker ( 1811 – 1874 ), Chinese brothers born in Siam, now Thailand . Chang and Eng were joined by a band of cartilage at the chest (xiphopagus) and with current surgical procedures could easily be separated. For many years they traveled with the Barnum Circus , and upon retiring in the 1840s they married sisters Sarah and Adelaide Yates of North Carolina and purchased two adjoining farm properties just west of Mount Airy in the community of White Plains . Together they fathered between 20 and 23 children (accounts vary, and many of the children died in early childhood). The twins would spend three days at one farm then three days at the second farm. They owned slaves before and during the American Civil War Chang's son Christopher and Eng's son Stephen both fought for the Confederacy . In January of 1874, Chang, who was a heavy drinker, fell ill with pneumonia and died during the night. Eng also died within a few hours, surrounded by his and his brother's families. The brothers are buried at White Plains Baptist Church, and many of their descendants still live in the Mount Airy area. The June, 2006, issue of '' National Geographic '' has an article that focuses on the Bunkers. There are some 1,500 descendants of the Bunker twins. Among them are 11 sets of twins, none of them conjoined. In addition, "The Wedding of the Siamese Twins" by Burton Cohen, a play detailing the salacious and often amusing lives of Chang and Eng Bunker, is scheduled to be performed annually at the Andy Griffith Playhouse in Mount Airy. TRIVIA
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