George Washington

This enormous, 4-foot tall, bust of George Washington by Avard Fairbanks (©1975) stands in the parking lot of the Washington County Museum of the arts in Hagerstown, Maryland. Washington County was named for George Washington when the county was split from Frederick County in 1776, making it the first county in the US named for the, then future, first president.

Avard Fairbanks
©1975

 Avard T. Fairbanks. Ph.D. (1897-1987)

George Washington

“First in War, First in Peace,

First in the Hearts of His Countrymen”

Gift of David N. F. and Sylvia West Fairbanks

Bethesda, Maryland

The Flag of Washington County features George Washington. This one is hanging half staff at the 9-11 memorial on the grounds of the Washington County Art Museum.

Fairbanks is known, inter alia, for designing radiator cap ornaments for Chrysler cars. Take a look at this video of Fairbanks explaining his Ram hood ornament for Dodge. As Fairbanks recalled it “I explained {To Walter P. Chrysler} that anyone seeing a ram, with its big horns, would think ‘dodge.’”

 His son David N. F. Fairbanks is an Ear Nose and Throat Surgeon and Sylvia Fairbanks is a teacher. This photo of Avard Tennyson Fairbanks belongs to the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Avard T. Fairbanks

1897 – 1987

by Paul Juley

Instances of Avard Fairbanks' bust of Washington seem to be ubiquitous. The one below is at George Washington University in Washington DC.

The George Washington University

Founded 

1821

The University seems to own at least 4 of these and gave one to Mount Vernon in 2003.

Fairbanks began modeling his bust of George Washington in clay in 1975 in preparation for nation’s bicentennial. While the bust is an original composition, Fairbanks created it based on his knowledge of many historic portraits of Washington. The bronze sculpture was first located at the Salt Lake City International Airport, but was later moved to GW’s campus. Since then, three additional busts have been added to the campus. The four busts of George Washington were donated to the University by Fairbanks’ son and daughter-in-law, David N.F. Fairbanks and Sylvia West Fairbanks. -- GWU

 Another one can be seen at the Masonic Temple on 16th Street in Washington.

George Washington

Freemason

There is, as noted above, a Fairbanks' Washington at Mount Vernon in the Visitors Center, donated by George Washington University.

George Washington by Avard T. Fairbanks at Mount Vernon. 

The statue was given to Mount Vernon in 2003 by George Washington University after having lived at the Salt Lake City International Airport and on the GWU campus. The GWU press-release quoted Joel Trachtenberg. “'I am confident that President Washington would be pleased at the accomplishments of the University that proudly bears his name', said Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, GW president.”  

George Washington

by Avard T. Fairbanks

Gift  of the George Washington University, 2003

Millard Fillmore's Bathtub blog remarks that “Avard Fairbanks' very large bust of George Washington invites touching by visitors at the Mount Vernon Visitors Center; people touch his nose.” 

Fairbanks' Washington at Mount Vernon.

There is of course another one of these statues in Washington State, with its nose rubbed smooth, and one at Sulgrave Manor in England. Atlas Obscura notes that there is one in the town of George in Washington State, making it a statue of George Washington in the town of George Washington.