The First Presbyterian Church of St. Marys is not only a stunning example of early tidewater architecture—it is also one of the oldest Presbyterian church buildings in Georgia. Originally non-denominational, the congregation began to take shape under the leadership of Horace S. Pratt, a young missionary from the Presbytery of New Brunswick, New Jersey. When Pratt arrived in 1821, he found religion in the area in what he described as “a very low and languishing state, having existence in name only.” By an Act of the Georgia Legislature in 1828, the church was formally incorporated as the First Presbyterian Church of St. Marys.

The church is a fitting landmark in the historic coastal village of St. Marys, located on the St. Marys River in Camden County. The St. Marys Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, reflects a deep and complex history. The area was first settled in the mid-16th century by the Spanish and was formally established by the Georgia legislature in 1792. Built on the site of an abandoned Timucuan Indian village, Tlathlothlaguphta, St. Marys occupies land confiscated from the brothers of royal governor James Wright, whose Loyalist sympathies during the American Revolution led to their banishment. In 1788, early planter and legislator Jacob Weed sold 1,672 acres along the river to nineteen other men. Together, the twenty laid out the town with 100-foot-wide streets, two 16-acre public squares, and a mix of high and marshland for each founder.

St. Mary's location on the Atlantic coast, just north of Florida, drew it into nearly every major U.S. military conflict of the 18th and 19th centuries. The city was occupied by British forces during the War of 1812, shelled by Union gunboats in the Civil War, and repeatedly plagued by raids, yellow fever epidemics, and the population losses that followed.

Today, the First Presbyterian Church, standing for over two centuries, remains an enduring testament to the resilience of this historic community. Lovingly maintained, it continues to welcome worshippers.