Established in 1780, the church is located on the corner of Monument Avenue and Arthur Ashe Boulevard.

Dr. Jim Somerville, former pastor of the First Baptist Church of Washington, D.C. Its historic building at 12th and East Broad streets is the home of Virginia Commonwealth University's Hunton Student Center.

The church moved from that location in 1841 to E Broad St. at 12th St.[3] Their new building was designed by architect Thomas U. Walter.

It is a stuccoed temple-form Greek Revival style building with the two fluted Doric order columns of its portico in antis.

During the American Civil War the church building served as an emergency hospital for Confederate Army soldiers.