PITTSVILLE, Md. -- Founding Father and first U.S. President George Washington has been known as the face of the quarter since it came to be in 1932. However, some neighbors in Pittsville believe that the "true" face on the quarter originated in their town.
His name is Drexel M. Truitt, born in 1888 in the Town of Pittsville. Truitt, who built a Hollywood acting career on his resemblance to Washington, is believed to have modeled for New York sculptor John Flanagan.
"It is our understanding that the designs for the coin were selected after a design competition, and New York sculptor John Flanagan’s work was chosen from approximately one hundred models that were submitted," says a spokesperson from the U.S. Mint. "We do know that the Treasury Department worked in close cooperation with the Commission of Fine Arts in relation to this design competition, and the final selection was made by the Secretary of the Treasury."
While there is no official record of Truitt's participation, Pittsville native and town official Erika Lecates, believes that it is Truitt.
"It makes me feel really proud," says Lecates. "We are a small town on Delmarva, but with our quarter, if you have a quarter in your pocket, we're reaching all across the globe."
Pittsville native and EMS Captain Tad Farlow shared similar sentiments.
"There's no reason to doubt it," says Farlow. "There's several websites that give the history on Drexel Truitt and his connection to it. As I say very often, everybody who has a quarter has a little piece of Pittsville in their pocket."
However, there were some people in town who had no idea that Washington's face isn't on the coin and it could be that of Wicomico County's very own.
"Oh my gosh," says Ms. T, who has lived in Pittsville for 22 years. "I can't believe it. That just blows my mind."
"You believe something for 60 something years and then find out that's not actually our first president," says neighbor Donna Fletcher. "And that he's a local actor that's actually on the quarter. That is just amazing to me, to know that the state I'm from, the town I'm from is where the actor is from that's on our quarter."
Though Truitt's portrait on the coin may never be confirmed, it's silver piece of history people in Pittsville are holding on to.
