Washington is a city in and the county seat of Washington County , Pennsylvania , United States , within the Pittsburgh Metro Area in the southwestern part of the state. The population was 15,268 at the 2000 census .
History City Hall in Washington, PA George Washington Hotel Delaware Indian chief Tangooqua , commonly known as "Catfish", had a camp on a branch of Chartiers Creek in what is now part of the city of Washington. The French labeled the area "Wissameking", meaning "catfish place", as early as 1757. The area of Washington was settled by many immigrants from Scotland and the north of Ireland along with settlers from eastern and central parts of colonial Virginia . It was first settled by colonists around 1768. The Pennsylvania General Assembly passed an act on March 28, 1781, erecting the County of Washington and naming "Catfish Camp" as the place for holding the first election. This was the first county in the U.S. to be named in honor of President George Washington . David Hoge laid out a plan of lots immediately after the legislature's action. His original plot carried the name "Bassett, alias Dandridge Town," but before the plot was recorded, lines were drawn through "Bassett, alias Dandridge Town" with ink, and the word "Washington" was written above.