Mount Airy Was a Real Place Before the Hollywood Idea of Mayberry.

A photo story of the town, the surrounding area, its people, and the work that built it—from the railroad boom of the late 1800s, through the rise and fall of textiles, furniture, and tobacco, to the revitalization and reinvention of a new, prosperous economy. A place and a state of mind, built on a bedrock of granite, small-town values, and a good dose of fun and humor.

Book cover of "An American Hometown, Mount Airy, North Carolina - A Photo Story" by George Francisco, showing Pilot Mountain behind a red poppy field
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Snappy Lunch diner sign in downtown Mount Airy, North Carolina, home of the pork chop sandwich
Musicians performing old-time string music on the WPAQ Merry-Go-Round live radio show in Mount Airy, North Carolina

ON SALE in Historic Downtown Mount Airy, NC

Autumn Leaves Festival™ October 9-11, 2026

The hardcover book retails for $55.00.

The Earle theater marquee lit up at night in downtown Mount Airy, North Carolina

$55.00

Close-up of a fried pork chop sandwich from Snappy Lunch in Mount Airy, North Carolina
A costumed local character in a straw hat and overalls with a llama during a Mount Airy festival
Brick archway entrance to the Andy Griffith Playhouse in Mount Airy, North Carolina
Carved granite bust statue on a brick pedestal with flowers in downtown Mount Airy, North Carolina

Specifications

  • Hardcover

  • 152 pages

  • 142 photographs

  • Printed on GardaMatt Art FSC #100 white paper from Cartiere del Garda in Italy

  • 8 inches x 10 inches x 3/4 inches

  • Designed and produced by Nathan Moehlmann,

    Goosepen Studio & Press

  • Printed and bound by Friesens

  • Copyright George Francisco/Places and Faces, LLC