The church was built in 1870, during Reconstruction. It was used by multiple congregations and also served as the community's black school until 1925, when a Rosenwald school (Lincoln School) was built.[2][3] A survey of Tennessee African-American churches conducted in the 1990s identified it as the oldest extant African-American church building in the state.[2] The church still houses an active congregation.[4] It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.[1]