Bailey Carpenter (1910-2009) was Richmond Hill’s best known barber for over 50 years, and is still remembered today. When he died in 2009, just a few weeks shy of his 99th birthday, he had cut the hair of generations of local men.

His barber shop, now located on the grounds of the Richmond Hill History Museum, has stood at several sites over the years. Shirley Hiers wrote the definitive history of Carpenter’s Barber Shop, “A Mayberry state of mind” for the Bryan County News in 22 Sep 2010, and her article is the source for most of the facts shared here. She noted that Mr. Carpenter learned barbering during his time in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and began cutting hair around 1938.

Extensive conversations with long-time Richmond Hill citizens revealed that Annie Miner, who owned a small grocery store near US Highway 17, built a barbershop for Carpenter’s use between her grocery and a neighboring grocery store owned by Bennie Warsaw. And he did well, as he was the only barber in town. This is how he came to first cut Henry Ford’s hair, circa 1938. It was reported that Ford paid $3 for a 35-cent haircut, unheard of during the Great Depression. He even tipped Carpenter $10 on a couple of occasions. He was obviously pleased with his work.

Shirley Hiers wrote that Ford suggested Carpenter move his business into the back room of a two-story building at the corner of Ford Avenue and Constitution Way, but newer sources suggest Ford actually bought the shop and moved it to that location. (I can’t confirm either version). At this time Ford bought Carpenter a new barber chair, which he treasured for the rest of his life. For the next decade, Carpenter worked on the Ford Plantation while continuing his barbering. In the 1970s, the shop was moved across Georgia Highway 144, and moved down the road a few years later. In the 1980s Mr. Carpenter moved it to his backyard. After his death, it landed on the grounds of the Historical Museum.