This brick church began as a Gothic Revival structure with a central crenellated tower. The growing congregation needed room for expansion, and Russell added a new front and rear and an education wing. The planned route of the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike would have come right through the building. After a considerable campaign, the decision was made in 1957 to divert the turnpike and save the church, one of the first examples of preservation of an African American landmark in Richmond.