FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Elizabeth Eckel, SVP Marketing, 401-348-1309
DATE: August 16, 2005

Washington Trust Names New Branch Manager at Westerly McQuades

Westerly, Rhode Island... August 16, 2005 (Westerly, RI) . . .Amy Panciera, a resident of Westerly, R.I., has been promoted to branch manager of Washington Trust's Westerly McQuade's branch. She is responsible for the overall growth and development of the branch and overseeing retail operations.

Panciera joined Washington Trust in 1996 as a teller for the Bank's Charlestown branch. Most recently she served as a customer sales associate for the Bank's Olde Mistick Village branch.

Panciera is a graduate of Quinebaug Valley Community College and is a member of the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center and the Mashantucket Pequot Museum.

The Washington Trust Company is the largest independent bank headquartered in Rhode Island. A state-chartered bank, Washington Trust offers a full range of financial services, including wealth management, through its 16 branch offices located in Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut. Founded in 1800, 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.