Built in 1931, the Mayberry Mansion has stood proudly on the corner of 4th and Choctaw for decades. In the early 1900s, 4th Street was referred to as Silk Stocking Road, due to the number of notable families who lived there. Some of the Mayberry neighbors included the Bayless family of the Belvidere Mansion, newspaper publisher HT Brown, Dr. Bushyhead, who was the son of the Principal Chief of the Cherokees, and several lawyers and bankers.
The home was in the original A.B. Mayberry family from 1931 until 1999. Since then, it has been in a few different hands, the most recent belonging to Lauren and Jacob Garrison, who closed on the house in early September.
The Garrisons have poured plenty of love and sweat into the property over the past several weeks, restoring it to its former glory. They admitted that the bones of the house are very sturdy and the interior didn’t need loads of work, but the exterior did. They are also being careful to highlight the historical features of the home, from the decorative floor vents to the original light fixtures, fireplace, and windows. The front door is incredible, much more unique than today’s offerings. One of the bathrooms, originally powder pink, has been repainted by a former owner. However, the old sink and toilet, which were from Italy, were stored in the garage, and the Garrisons intend on restoring that. There’s also a laundry chute, complete with an old family legend about a young Mayberry boy dropping a watermelon through the opening.
The Mayberry Mansion features three floors, five bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, living and dining rooms, a bar area and…a telephone booth. There are even some hidden rooms in the house, as well as a basement. Lauren and Jacob have spent hours scouring the local antique shops and estate sales to find just the right decor for the home. They’ve done an excellent job!
The home is available to rent for events such as showers or parties, or it’s on Airbnb, so you can rent it for a night or a week. If you have family coming to town for vacation or another reason, you can rent the entire house for their stay. More rental info can be found on the Mayberry Mansion facebook page HERE.
If you’d like to take a tour of the home, come to the open house on Monday, October 29, from 5:30p – 7p. Nibbles will be provided by The Pink House. Immediately following the open house, everyone is invited to stay for the Rogers County Historical Society meeting at 7p. Guest speaker will be Jennifer Ayers, who is a Mayberry relative. She’s sure to have plenty of tales; maybe we’ll even hear about the watermelon and the laundry chute.
The Mayberry Mansion is located at 303 E. 4th St. in Claremore.
