When the Tanger Outlets opened in South Strabane in September, drawing more than 100,000 people in one weekend, it made sense that the shopping center would be a good place to tout the virtues of Washington County to those who might not usually visit the area.

So on Monday, President's Day, the Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency hosted none other than the country's "first president" and county namesake to spread the word about all of the great places to visit in the Washington County.

That's right, General George Washington, outfitted in a tri-corner hat, blue coat, ruffled blouse and buckled shoes, came to life for the day to talk tourism and to hand out pieces of cherry pie, even though he reminded folks that the story about him chopping down the cherry tree wasn't true.

"Honesty is an important trait and I'm proud to be a symbol of honesty even though it's not a true story," the general and first president said just before he cut a three-foot-wide pie that had been donated by The Pie Place in Houston, Washington County.

The general was posted at the agency's new booth in the outlet food court.

The living, breathing Mr. Washington is a creation of Markowitz Communications, which was hired by the Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency. He has been used in the agency's advertising and at special functions during the past year. Though he insisted he was the George Washington, the role is actually played by Pittsburgh actor Eric Haines.

He appears throughout the print promotional information created for the tourism agency, including the glossy Washington Official Visitors Guide, which lists the county's history, sites of interest, including festivals, educational and historic areas and lodging accommodations.

Monday marked the official grand opening of the tourism agency's stand at the food court of the Tanger Outlets. The outlet developers provided the space and the tourism agency paid for the construction, said J.R. Shaw, the agency's executive director. The outlets aren't charging the agency rent.

While the space has been there since the outlets opened, it wasn't fully staffed and functioning until Monday, when large pictures of tourist attractions throughout Washington County were hung and a large screen television was operating with a video titled "Discover the Many Faces of Washington County." Among the scenes featured in the video are Trax Farms, Little Lake Theater, and Washington & Jefferson College.

The stand holds a number of promotional and informational brochures about destinations in Washington County and will be staffed 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays.

The stand will work as a satellite to the agency's main office in Washington.

As for Mr. Washington, he spent part of Monday mingling with the lunch crowd and telling them how proud he is of the country and county.

He also spoke with pride of recent developments in Washington County, which was the first county to be named after him. It took his name in 1781, two years before Gen. Washington's troops defeated the British to end the Revolutionary War.

Mr. Washington said Washington County will soon hold 2,000 hotel rooms for tourists who want to visit its sites and has $1.79 billion in business investment in 2008.

"I am very proud to see the progress we have made and the direction the country is going," he said.