It was built in 1853 largely through the efforts of George Washington Bassett, grandnephew of Martha Custis Washington, who matched a contribution from St. Paul's Church in Richmond, Virginia.
From 1881 until 1904 (when he inherited property in Maryland and sought transfer to the Diocese of Easton), the shared rector was Rev. Sewell Hepburn (now more famous for his relative, Katharine Hepburn).