At the east end of Washington Square, the Old Colony House, also called the Old State House or Newport Colony House, fills your view. This brick Georgian-style building was completed in 1741 and once served as the meeting place for the colonial legislature. After independence in 1776 and into the early 20th century, the state legislature alternated sessions between this house and the Rhode Island State House in Providence.
Remarkably little altered since its construction, it survives as one of the best-maintained Georgian public buildings in the United States from the colonial era; in recognition it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960 and is a contributing property to the Newport Historic District, which later received its own NHL designation. Still owned by the state, the Old Colony House is managed as a museum by the Newport Historical Society. Within these walls Rhode Island saw many important Revolutionary events; George Washington and Dwight Eisenhower have both been guests at the building.
The building has also served as barracks, hospital, courthouse, and even as a location for a Steven Spielberg film. Picture the brick building and the square before you, and the view continuing across Washington Square.