[2] During the middle and late nineteenth century, Youngstown began to develop as an industrial powerhouse,[3]: 7  and its population expanded with the arrival of thousands of Western European immigrants.

The largest ethnic group was Welsh, many of whom came to work in coal mines at Brier Hill, west of the city.

[3]: 9  Some of the Welshmen founded a Congregational church at Brier Hill in 1845, but significant growth prompted the members to construct a new building in Youngstown itself, near downtown, in 1861.

[4] One and a half stories tall,[4] the church was composed of weatherboarded and shingled walls and an asbestos roof, set upon a stone foundation.

Discouraged by the lengthy timeline of relocation and renovation plans, the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown decided to have the building demolished.