Christ Episcopal Church was established in Eureka by Thomas Walsh, a successful Eureka pioneer and merchant who served as a mayor and councilman. He obtained the funds for the first church, built in 1870 and located at the corner of First and E Streets, from England, Ireland, and San Fransisco.
This structure replaced the original church, which was demolished. As built, the main body of the gabled structure is rectangular and covered with vertical board and batten siding. Superimposed gables intersect the sanctuary at right angles and form the entrance. A decorative curvilinear barge board is found on all the gable ends. Prominently rising above the gabled entrance is the narrow, hipped roof tower whose belfry is punctuated by pointed arched openings. The adjacent parish house repeats the juxtaposed receding gable pattern and decorative bargeboard.
