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This parish was organized on April 20, 1825, and is the second oldest in Newark. It is in part the outgrowth of church services of a largely Presbyterian order held in the old Mud Mills (Soverhill) schoolhouse as early as 1810. In 1827, the first church building was erected on this site. That building, a small wood-frame structure, was dedicated on the same dates the Methodists dedicated their first building on the present site. By 1852, a larger building of red brick was started, but before the building was completed it was destroyed by fire. Rebuilding began immediately, and the church was dedicated in 1855. The architect was Stephen Culver of Newark, a member of the church. In 1875, the building was enlarged and remodeled. By 1915, larger accommodations were needed. The two brick towers were removed, and the current sanctuary started. The old building was gutted, and rebuilt with a modern Sunday School, offices, and a social hall. Combining the old with the new building created a facade too wide for any of the more common forms of church architecture, so the neo-Classical style was chosen, featuring a portico with four Ionic columns. A small belfry was built at the back to accommodate the bell, which has been in use continuously since 1835. It rings the hours daily. A stucco veneer compatible with the style of the building covers both the old and the "new" building. The new church was dedicated in January 1917.
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The sanctuary is unique to this part of the country. First, it is in the shape of a Greek cross. A Greek cross is one in which all four rays are of the same length. The portico is of Greek design. The architectural style of the room is a combination of Byzantine and Early or Italian Romanesque. Byzantine features found in the sanctuary include the four pilasters, (the attached columns) supporting four curved arches, which support a dome. The early Romanesque features include the pediments over the doors and at the top of the reredos. The found arches for the windows and over the organ chamber are featured in both Byzantine and Romanesque architecture.
This church was also built after the Akron plan, with a main Sunday School room and a horseshoe-shaped balcony directly behind the sanctuary and separated from it by sliding doors. When the doors were opened, a thousand people could be accommodated. Graduation ceremonies for Newark High School were held in this room from 1919 through 1940. A total of 1343 young people received their diplomas here.
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