Washington Townsend (January 20, 1813 – March 18, 1894) was an American lawyer, banker, and politician who served four terms as a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania from 1869 to 1877.

His father was botanist David Townsend, co-founder and chief cashier of the Bank of Chester County.

He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1844 and commenced practice in West Chester.

[1] Townsend was elected as a Republican to the Forty-first and to the three succeeding Congresses.

He served as chairman of the United States House Committee on Public Lands during the Forty-third Congress.