It is located in the Newington district of Edinburgh, approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south of the city centre.

The congregation of what was then known as Mayfield Free Church was established in 1875 to serve the growing population of the Newington district of Edinburgh.

[1][3] On 5 October 1878, a commemorative stone for the main building was laid by the Lord Provost, Sir Thomas Boyd.

[3] A time capsule, containing copies of that day's newspapers, a sketch plan of the church and other documents, was embedded in the stone.

[3] Fountainhall Road Church traced its origins to the Bethel Chapel in the High Street, founded in 1828.

After the merger with Mayfield North Church, the Fountainhall Road building was demolished and Newington public library built on the site.

On 11 January 1969, the church's roof was destroyed by a major fire which also caused extensive damage to the building's interior.

[7] In 1998, the Mayfield Church building was extended to provide offices, a meeting space and a day care centre.

[3] It has a cruciform plan, with the entrance and vestibule at the west end and a long nave leading into a short five-sided apse in the east.

[5] From the outside, the most prominent feature is the square clock tower, to which a stone spire with shafted pinnacles on each corner was added in 1894.