BACKSTORY: Washington Square and Washington Ward were laid out in 1790, and of course were named after the Revolutionary War general and first president, George Washington. The square is bordered by East Bryan, East St. Julian, East Congress and Houston Streets. It is one short block from East Broad Street, the eastern boundary of the original city. Virtually every home on Washington Square and the immediately surrounding streets has been owned by a person or family of historical interest or has some unique attribute, such as having been moved from another location or rebuilt in the late 1900s in order to preserve it.
Savannah’s award-winning Mulberry Inn was conveniently located in the Historic District near Washington Square. The inn was originally built in the 1860’s as a livery stable and later served as one of the city’s cotton warehouses. In the early 1900’s it housed Coca-Cola’s first franchise bottling operation. The 145-key boutique hotel was converted into a hotel in 1982. Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group’s parent company acquired The Mulberry Inn in February 2013 for an undisclosed price. Kimpton renovated the hotel and reopened it as The Brice in Summer 2014.