FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Brenda D. Farrell, Corporate Communications Manager, 401-348-1363
DATE: February 25, 2004

Washington Trust Names New Cranston Branch Manager

Westerly, Rhode Island... The Washington Trust Company announced today that Vincent F. Moretti, a resident of Cranston, R.I., has been promoted to Branch Manager for the Bank's Cranston branch, located at the 645 Reservoir Avenue, at the intersection with Park Avenue.

Mr. Moretti joined the Bank in September of 2002 as a mortgage officer. In his new role, he is responsible for the branch's overall growth and development, overseeing retail operations and mortgage origination. A native of Cranston, R.I., Mr. Moretti graduated from Bishop Hendricken High School and received his bachelor's degree from the College of the Holy Cross. He is the Bank's programming liaison to Junior Achievement of Rhode Island and a member of the Rhode Island Mortgage Bankers Association.

Founded in 1800, The Washington Trust Company is a state-chartered bank and offers a full range of financial services, including trust and investment management, through its branch offices in Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut. The Bank is a subsidiary of Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc. whose common stock trades on The Nasdaq Stock Market® under the symbol WASH. Web site address: www.washtrust.com.