The church is named in honor of Elizabeth Henry Russell, an early Methodist convert, whose brother was Patrick Henry and whose husband was pioneer settler General William Russell. It stands adjacent to a reconstruction in 1974 of the couple's log dwelling, which stood on the site until 1908. The 1898 section of the limestone Gothic Revival church is the eastern half of the building. A large stone addition to the west, although sympathetic to the character of the original church, creates a sprawling composition. The original church features a three-stage stone and frame bell tower at one corner and a shorter turret with conical roof at the opposite corner. A large pointed-arched stained glass window dominates the gabled front and a similar window fills the addition's gabled facade. The size and architectural detail of the church are more commonly associated with urban churches of the period, but Saltville in the 1890s was a growing town with big expectations.