Morgantown unveils ‘Fife Ave’ sign for Don Knotts’ 100th birthday

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) — The City of Morgantown has unveiled a new tribute to Morgantown native actor Don Knotts and the character he is best known for, Barney Fife.

Ahead of the celebration of what would have been Knotts’ 100th birthday on July 21 , the city installed a new sign on Fife Avenue, which is between High Street and Willey Street downtown.

“Thank you to our Public Works department for braving the heat wave this week to get the signs hung before the week long celebration taking place at the Metropolitan Theatre,” the city said in a Facebook post .

The sign depicts Knotts in his deputy getup as Barney Fife on “The Andy Griffith Show” along with the words “Honoring 10 Years of Don Knotts’ legacy, July 21, 1924 – July 21, 2024.”

Knotts was born in Morgantown, went to West Virginia University and appeared in 87 projects over his 55 years of work in television and movies . He died in 2006 at the age of 81.

The week-long celebration of Don Knotts legacy will kick off on July 20 and will be held at the Metropolitan Theatre where a statue of Knotts continues to watch over downtown Morgantown. Screenings of his most famous works start at just $1 and other performances will be held at the Met daily through July 24.

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