First Presbyterian Church has deep roots in colonial history. Services were held on Greenbury Point as early as the 1650's. Two months after the founding of the U.S. Naval Academy in October 1845, organized Presbyterian services began in the City Council Chambers on Main Street with sixteen hearty souls including our first Midshipman.

The congregation of the present church was formally organized on May 2, 1846, when Annapolis was a community of less than 3,000. The two men primarily responsible for the founding were Dr. John Ridout, a well known physician of Annapolis, and Arsene N. Girault, the first civilian professor at the Naval Academy.

The new congregation bought the old Hallam Theater, built in 1826, and rebuilt it as the sanctuary, which was dedicated to its sacred purpose on July 25, 1847. On that momentous date, the congregation was presented with a communion pitcher by the Bridge Street Presbyterian Church, which is now known as Georgetown Presbyterian Church of Washington, DC. That pitcher is still used by First Presbyterian Church.

The women of the congregation bought the first parsonage located at 192 Duke of Gloucester Street in 1854. The parsonage was sold during the Depression in 1936.

The congregation had strong Unionist sympathies during the Civil War and was considered a "Yankee" church in a town that was strongly southern and pro-Confederacy.

In 1874 a new front was added between the sanctuary and the street, a tower erected, and certain alterations and repairs made. During these years the church had stained-glass windows along the sidewalls of the sanctuary and a large rose-window facing Duke of Gloucester Street.

In 1946 after nearly 100 years of continuous use, both as a church and as the girls’ grammar school, the building was again in need of major repairs. The present building has been greatly enlarged and restored in the best colonial tradition. Only the floor boards in the nave and a portion of the exterior wall on the east side of the building remain as visible evidence of the original theater building. Hidden above the ceiling, the original hand-carved trusses continue to support the building without nails, bolts, or screws.

The cornerstone for the remodeled church was laid on May 6, 1948, by Wilbur LaRoe, Esq., Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. and Dr. John Cunningham, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, U.S. This was the first formal occasion at which the Moderators of both the Northern and Southern branches of the Presbyterian Church together appeared in their official capacities.

The current manse was built in 1946 on the corner of Franklin Street and Acton Place on land originally purchased in 1926 for a new church. In 1959 the chancel and nave were expanded and the educational building was completed. Three additional properties located at 165, 167, and 169 Duke of Gloucester Street were purchased over the years to meet expanding needs. The latest additional property purchase, 138 Conduit Street, was acquired in 2002.

Additional facilities have been added to the church building, such as air-conditioning in 1967, a computer aided organ in 1973, and the church bell in 1977. A significant remodeling and rebuilding of the church properties, as well as upgrading and additions of heating, air-conditioning and electrical systems to all church campus properties was begun in 1999 with Capital Campaign funding. The original project plan effort was completed in May 2005 through the efforts of continuous contributions by many generous members and friends of the congregation and extensive effort of the congregational volunteer organization known as Sweat Equity.

The Westminster Foundation of Annapolis, Maryland was established in 1936 to provide a special ministry to college and academy students. The Pastor serves as Executive Director of the Foundation.

In 1947 the church was designated as the National Naval Memorial of the Presbyterian Church by the General Assembly. The congregation has participated in a variety of outreach activities over the years including sponsorship of refugees from Hungary, Cambodia, and Bosnia, and supporting the Lighthouse Shelter of Annapolis for the Homeless. We have also served as "home" for activities such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Habitat for Humanity, and the YWCA Women's Center.

We have come a long way with the grace of God and the labors of thousands of willing servants. They have been tall and short, men and women, young and old, notable and infamous. The current windows in the sanctuary are dedicated to various men and women who have contributed to the history of First Presbyterian Church of Annapolis. They include our founding elders, the original publisher of the Capital newspaper, a bank clerk, and the only Navy officer killed in combat during the Spanish-American War. Each brick and board recalls the history of the First Presbyterian Church of Annapolis.