Meadows of Dan is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

Patrick County, Virginia Patrick County is a county located on the central southern border of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,608. Its county seat is Stuart. It is located within both the rolling hills and valleys of the Pie ...

, where the

Blue Ridge Parkway The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. The parkway, which is America's longest linear park, runs for through 29 Virginia and North Carolina counties, linking Shenand ...

(milepost 178) crosses U.S. Route 58 (

Jeb Stuart James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart (February 6, 1833May 12, 1864) was a United States Army officer from Virginia who became a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb,” from the initials of ...

Highway). It was first listed as a CDP in the 2020 census with a population of 72. There are numerous country shops, classic houses, and restaurants in the community. It is located near the Patrick/ Floyd county line about 20 miles east of Hillsville and about 14 miles northwest of

Stuart, Virginia Stuart is a town in Patrick County, Virginia, where it is the county seat. The population was 1,408 at the 2010 census. The town of Stuart was named after Confederate Gen. J.E.B. Stuart, of nearby Ararat, Virginia. History Incorporation (1753� ...

. The community's name is credited to one of its earliest English settlers, James Steptoe Langhorne, and comes from the meadows that abound near the

Dan River The Dan River flows in the U.S. states of North Carolina and Virginia. It rises in Patrick County, Virginia, and crosses the state border into Stokes County, North Carolina. It then flows into Rockingham County. From there it flows back int ...

which flows through the area. The community's motto as posted on the welcoming sign is "A simpler place in time". Meadows of Dan is located along the Crooked Road, Virginia and th
Crooked Road
Virginia's heritage music trail and in the Rocky Knob

American Viticultural Area An American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States, providing an official appellation for the mutual benefit of winery, wineries and consumers. Winemakers frequently want their consumers to know abo ...

. The community of Meadows of Dan hosts an annual Folk Fair, in cooperation with the Virginia Peach Festival. Meadows of Dan was also a setting for the ministry of

Reverend Bob Childress Robert "Bob" Walter Childress (January 19, 1889 or January 19, 1890 – January 16, 1956) was a Presbyterian minister who was born in "The Hollow," now Ararat, Virginia, and grew up surrounded by the Primitive Baptist tradition. He became known t ...

, whose life was chronicled in the book ''The Man Who Moved a Mountain''. The

Cockram Mill Cockram Mill is a historic grist mill complex located near Meadows of Dan, Patrick County, Virginia. The mill dates to about 1885, and is a two- and three-story, rectangular frame building on a concrete foundation. It measures 111 feet by 24 feet ...

and

Mayberry Presbyterian Church Mayberry Presbyterian Church is a historic Presbyterian church at 1127 Mayberry Church Road in Meadows of Dan, Patrick County, Virginia. It is one of the "rock churches" founded by Bob Childress. It was built in 1925, and is a one-story frame c ...

are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. Meadows of Dan is located approximately one half hour north of Andy Griffith’s hometown of

Mount Airy, North Carolina Mount Airy is a city in Surry County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 10,611. History Mount Airy was settled in the 1750s as a stagecoach stop on the road between Winston-Salem, North Carolina an ...

, the city which is widely believed to have inspired the fictitious Mayberry on the Andy Griffith Show. It has been speculated that the name “Mayberry” may have come from either Mayberry Road or the Mayberry Presbyterian Church in Meadows of Dan.

Notable people

* Beatrice Farnham, artist and entrepreneur

References

Unincorporated communities in Patrick County, Virginia Unincorporated communities in Virginia Census-designated places in Patrick County, Virginia Census-designated places in Virginia {{PatrickCountyVA-geo-stub