Construction of Coventry Cross Episcopal Church began in 1936 at the building's original site in Smith Valley. The church was named for the large stone cross that stands on its rood beam. The Dean of Coventry Cathedral gave the cross, originally part of St. Michael's Cathedral in Coventry, England, to Bishop Thomas Jenkins in 1930. The church was moved to its present site in 1954 and has served Carson Valley continually since then.