In this Wednesday, April 3, 2013 file photo, author Earl Hamner Jr. blows a kiss to relatives in the gallery as he is honored by the Virginia Senate at the state capitol in Richmond, Va. Hamner died on March 24, 2016. (AP Photo/Richmond Times-Dispatch, Bob Brown)
Three longtime fans of the popular TV show "The Waltons" have purchased the Virginia childhood home of the show's creator in an effort to keep it open to the public.
Ray Castro, one of the buyers, tells The News & Advance he was worried someone would buy the Schuyler home of Earl Hamner Jr. and use it as a private residence.
The home on the Virginia Landmarks Register was the basis for the show, which drew upon Hamner's Depression-era upbringing.
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The new owners are instituting a few changes, including the hiring of a full-time docent who will conduct guided tours.
Hamner died in March 2016 at 92. His show aired for nine seasons and won more than a dozen Emmys.