Located at and near the junction of Washington and Essex Streets, it is a well-preserved collection of mid-19th century commercial architecture, with a history as an important commercial part of Boston dating to the 18th century.

This corner was at the edge of the area known in the 20th century as Boston's Combat Zone, or adult entertainment district.

In Boston's early colonial period, Washington Street was the only road off the Shawmut Peninsula, and this area was one that catered to travelers.

The oldest building in the district is the 1824 Lafayette Hotel, located next to the Liberty Tree Block on Washington Street.

Lining Essex Street east of the Liberty Tree Block are a collection of smaller late 19th-century commercial blocks, three of which have Gothic exteriors, and one has a rare surviving wooden facade from the 1870s.