 The history of both the City of Washington and Washington & Jefferson College date to the 1780s , when Western Pennsylvania was part of the American frontier . In the early years , a number of prominent residents worked to secure the future of the college , including the leader of the Whiskey Rebellion , David Bradford , who served as an early trustee and helped build McMillan Hall , and Matthew Brown , who was the first Principal of Washington Academy and First Presbyterian Church of Washington . The first portion of the modern campus was donated to the college by William Hoge , who was the son of David Hoge , the founder of Washington . In 1869 , citizens of Washington offered a $ 50 @,@ 000 donation to the college in a successful attempt to lure the trustees to select Washington over nearby Canonsburg as the consolidated location of the college . 
