Andy Griffith widow: It was reported that Andy Griffith’s widow, Cindi Griffith, got a permit to destroy his North Carolina home.
The widow of Andy Griffith has gained a permit to raze the North Carolina home where he lived for years. Some of his friends believe this is not what the longtime actor wanted.
Friends of Griffith, who died last year, were upset with the move because they believe he wanted to use the home as a sort of museum.
According to The Associated Press, widow Cindi Griffith got the permit to demolish the home on the Roanoke Sound on Monday. It is unclear if she is going through with the demolition.
Griffith is best known for playing Sheriff Andy Taylor on the “The Andy Griffith Show” and later, as lawyer Ben Matlock on “Matlock.”
Costume designer William Long said that Griffth, his longtime friend, told him in 2007 he wanted to use the older home as a museum.
“We compared notes,” Long told AP this week. “I had to fit mine into an existing museum. I told him, if you’re doing yours, you can make it however you want it.”
But he added: “I imagine Cindi has her reasons, and I don’t pretend to know what they are. It’s a beautiful bit of property with a lot of memories attached to it. I just hope they’re not moving too fast.”
Long said that Griffith wanted the museum to include items from his TV shows and from his music career.
Della Basnight, another friend of Griffith, also said that the actor had plans for the smaller home.
“When he gave her the power to do anything, I don’t think he thought she would want to do that,” she told AP.
Andy married Cindi in 1983 while he was shooting “Murder in Coweta County.” They stayed together until his death, and she reportedly was at his side when he passed away.
Griffith was 86 years old when he died last summer of heart failure. He passed away at the Dare County house, and he was reportedly buried on his farm during a private funeral service within a few hours of his death.
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