Local ·
Williamsburg Introduces Lapel Pin to Distinguish “Real” Residents
WILLIAMSBURG, VA — In a move locals are calling “long overdue,” the Williamsburg Alliance of Residents has begun distributing small enamel pins to verified city residents, allowing them to be visually identified in public.
The pin, a modest brass “W” on a field of colonial blue, is designed to clearly differentiate those who say they live in Williamsburg from those who actually do.
The program was reportedly born out of years of frustration among lifelong residents who say they are tired of being lumped in with “the greater Williamsburg area,” a term used to describe anyone living in a neighborhood that merely borrows the name for its mailing address.
“You see someone without the pin, you know exactly what you’re dealing with,” said longtime resident Carl Ashworth. “We’re tired of imposters from neighborhoods such as Ford’s Colony and Kingsmill trying to claim they’re from Williamsburg.”
Pin holders describe a quiet sense of solidarity when spotting one another in the wild, usually at Second Sundays in Merchant’s Square. Those without the pin report frequently being told, “Just because your driver’s license says Williamsburg doesn’t mean you get to go around telling everyone you’re from Williamsburg.”
Powhatan Secondary resident Gary Fenwick, who was seen attempting to fashion a pin out of a bottle cap, said the whole system feels excessive.
“I have lived here nine years,” Fenwick said. “I pay local taxes. I know a guy at the Cheese Shop.”
“Everyone knows a guy at the Cheese Shop,” Ashworth replied sharply, not looking up from his clipboard. “That means nothing, Gary.”