Born in 1824, Thomas Beecher established the church in 1846 and served as pastor until his death in 1900. Beecher was a relative of Harriet Beecher Stowe. An abolitionist, Beecher's following also opposed slavery. Mark Twain lectured from the pulpit of this church. The architecture of the church is considered significant, it has been called the "first institutional" church in America.