The building's first congregation was founded in 1806, when Thomas M'Crie the Elder, a leading Auld-Licht or conservative withdrew from the Anti-Burgher Secession Church.

The Auld Licht Ant-Burghers joined other factions to form the United Original Secession Church at a meeting in the building in 1842.

The united congregation retained the McCrie-Roxburgh buildings as mission halls before selling them to the Apostolic Church in 1930.

[2][3] In 1827, a faction of Auld Licht Anti-Burghers who opposed the creation of the United Secession Church in 1820 joined the Davie Street congregation.

[3] In 1842, Auld Licht Anti-Burghers joined other factions to form the United Original Secession Church at a meeting in the Davie Street meeting-house.

[5][6] At the encouragement of the Free Church's Presbytery of Edinburgh, McCrie and Roxburgh united on 10 January 1886.

[9] After considering and rejecting union with Fountainhall Road in the Grange and Craigmillar Park in Newington, the congregation decided on union with Newington United Free Church on the condition that the Davie Street buildings be retained as mission halls.

Its exterior is a simple rectangle with a two-storey facade of five bays, which includes double Doric columns in antis flanking the doorway.

[18][24] The sanctuary has a gallery on three sides and was recast by George Washington Browne in 1886, including the addition of an ornate ceiling.