In 1868, Charles A. Murphey purchased the original Old Village Presbyterian Church that stood on this site and donated the property to the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, after which the church was named St. Patrick's and became a mission of Church of Immaculate Conception in Elkton, Md. On the morning of December 25, 1880, the floor collapsed, leading to the decision to raze the church, and while a new church was being built, Sunday Mass was held in the Newark Grange Hall. Because of the monies contributed by Father John A. Lyons and his family, the church was renamed in honor of his patron, St. John the Baptist. The cornerstone of the present building was laid on June 24, 1883, and construction was completed in December. In 1946, Philadelphia architects Gleeson and Mulrooney carried out a major interior renovation that included twelve memorial stained glass windows and a rose window at the south front facade. The belfry was altered after lightning struck it in 1953, and in July 1991 a fire caused extensive damage to the front of the sanctuary, but the quick response of the Aetna Hose Hook and Ladder Company saved the structure. The building is an excellent example of Romanesque Revival ecclesiastical architecture as interpreted by Newark builders.