Downtown Square
Washington’s historic downtown square is located at the intersection of Main Street and Business Route 24.
Century-old buildings housing dozens of storefronts surround a public park at the center of the square. The one-third acre park features pedestrian walkways, lighting, benches, tables, and beautiful landscaping all around a seasonal water fountain at the heart of the downtown area.
The Washington Square Historic District was designated by the City Council in 2016.
Washington Square Building Design Guidelines were also approved in 2016.
The square was established in 1834 as a part of the Original Town and the first commercial sector in the city (for more early history, click here). As with many older downtown areas, the square no longer serves as the City’s service and institutional center, but still remains an important area of retail and office activity. Specialty shops and restaurants serving primarily a tourism market now characterize the square. Retailers include antiques, crafts, gifts, sporting goods, stationery, jewelry, cosmetics, a candy store, and more. Other businesses include a florist, grocer, liquor store, pub/tavern, gas station/auto service, several restaurants, and many offices such as realtors, attorneys, banks/financial groups, insurance agents, and chiropractic.
In addition to the wide variety of businesses, the downtown square has several other strengths including the presence of the Chamber of Commerce, a strong residential base, recent redevelopment projects, and historic value to the community. The square is located within Washington’s Enterprise Zone and Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District #2. We urge you to visit Washington’s downtown square and see first-hand what our community has to offer residents, visitors, and prospective businesses.
For more information contact the Planning & Development Department at 444-1135 or the Washington Chamber of Commerce at 444-9921.
Phase 1 Engineering - Historic Downtown Square Proposed Streetscape Improvements - Concept Plan; Square Plan; Streetscape Elements; Open Space Elements; FAQ's Comment Sheet
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Contact Us
Planning & Development Director
- Phone: (309) 444-1135
- Fax:
(309) 444-9779 - Staff Directory
- Hours: M - F 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.