Thirteen lay members founded the First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn in 1838. The Reverend C.W. Gurney became the church's first installed pastor in 1841. Dedicatory services for the church were held on October 7, 1845. Built with hand-hewn beams and pegged timber, it is the oldest church building in Brooklyn. The original simple Greek Revival structure with its square belfry measured forty by sixty feet. The church was remodeled in 1901 and enlarged twice in subsequent years.