The foundation stone was laid on Saturday 26 April 1879 by Sir Henry Day Ingilby of Ripley Castle, witnessed by an audience of 300.

The church was designed in the style of the second or Curvinilear Period of Decorated Gothic of 1290 to 1350.
Due to cost, the decoration of capitals and vaulting are minimal or non-existent, but there is some tracery in the windows, and varied carved finials under some arches.
The church is built of dressed ashlar blocks of Killinghall stone, while the boundary wall, also built in 1880, has contrasting rough coping to blend with the contemporary local style.
The west wall faces the highway, and has two aisle-end, two-light windows, whose tracery is in the form of a Canterbury cross.
 The North Porch is surmounted by a St Thomas Cross.
The remaining windows of the church have trefoil lights or are plain lancets, except for the east window which has four lights.
The north porch is 8.5 feet (2.6 m) square, and faced what was then the most populous part of the village.
However the porch was converted into a lavatory around 2015.

The mason was James Simpson of Harrogate, who constructed several local buildings of stone from Killinghall quarry, including the adjacent Methodist Chapel (1869).
According to Killinghall historian Colin Waite, "It could well be that James used the same stone to build St Thomas's," and the Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale Herald's 1880 article about the consecration said that it was local stone.
James Simpson was the father of David Simpson, who was mayor of Harrogate four times, who built Harrogate's Grand Hotel (1903), and who developed Harrogate's Duchy Estate for the Duchy of Lancaster.
The carpenter and joiner was William Bellerby of York.
Mr Baynes of Ripon was the slater, and Mr Fortune of Harrogate was the plasterer.
John Naylor of Halifax was the plumber and glazier.
The painters were Hirst and Barraclough of Brighouse.
Mr Rawe of Ripley was clerk of the works.
The value of work and materials as of 1880 was around £3,000.

 Media related to Exterior of Church of St Thomas the Apostle, Killinghall at Wikimedia Commons
The foundation stone was laid on Saturday 26 April 1879 by Sir Henry Day Ingilby of Ripley Castle, witnessed by an audience of 300.
The church was designed in the style of the second or Curvinilear Period of Decorated Gothic of 1290 to 1350. Due to cost, the decoration of capitals and vaulting are minimal or non-existent, but there is some tracery in the windows, and varied carved finials under some arches. The church is built of dressed ashlar blocks of Killinghall stone, while the boundary wall, also built in 1880, has contrasting rough coping to blend with the contemporary local style. The west wall faces the highway, and has two aisle-end, two-light windows, whose tracery is in the form of a Canterbury cross.  The North Porch is surmounted by a St Thomas Cross. The remaining windows of the church have trefoil lights or are plain lancets, except for the east window which has four lights. The north porch is 8.5 feet (2.6 m) square, and faced what was then the most populous part of the village. However the porch was converted into a lavatory around 2015.
The mason was James Simpson of Harrogate, who constructed several local buildings of stone from Killinghall quarry, including the adjacent Methodist Chapel (1869). According to Killinghall historian Colin Waite, "It could well be that James used the same stone to build St Thomas's," and the Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale Herald's 1880 article about the consecration said that it was local stone. James Simpson was the father of David Simpson, who was mayor of Harrogate four times, who built Harrogate's Grand Hotel (1903), and who developed Harrogate's Duchy Estate for the Duchy of Lancaster. The carpenter and joiner was William Bellerby of York. Mr Baynes of Ripon was the slater, and Mr Fortune of Harrogate was the plasterer. John Naylor of Halifax was the plumber and glazier. The painters were Hirst and Barraclough of Brighouse. Mr Rawe of Ripley was clerk of the works. The value of work and materials as of 1880 was around £3,000.
 Media related to Exterior of Church of St Thomas the Apostle, Killinghall at Wikimedia Commons
Church of St Thomas the Apostle, Killinghall