Following the appointment of Reverend Thomas Colgan as Jamaica rector in 1732, the number of congregants in the Mission Church at Newtown increased.
A deed of land was requested from the Newtown government, and granted on April 19, 1733.
The deed called for "twenty square rods" of land, which was equivalent to about 62.5 by 86.8 feet (19.1 by 26.5 m).
Construction was delayed until funds were raised.
Work began in early 1735 and was finished in 1736; records name Joseph Moore as the builder and James Renne Jr. as the carpenter.
The pews were added in 1740.

As completed, the church building was "box-like" with wood shingles and round-arched windows, as well as a tower with a steeple and weather vane on its west.
The main entrance was on the southern facade, and inside were boxed pews that could be locked.
The boxed pews nearest the minister were generally reserved for the most important members of the community, while indentured servants, apprentices, slaves, and Native Americans were seated in the upper level of the tower.
The structure in general was characteristic of colonial meeting houses in New England.
Colgan remained rector until his death in 1755; Samuel Seabury was appointed as rector in 1757, serving until 1766.

Because of the church's rapid growth in the 1750s, the parishioners applied for a royal charter on September 2, 1761, and received autonomy on September 9.
The parish was chartered as the Church of England Parish of Saint James, although it remained under the administration of the Jamaica parish.
The charter included the acquisition of 0.25 acres (0.10 ha) behind the church for a cemetery.
The same month, doctor Jacob Ogden deeded 12 acres (4.9 ha) to the parish, including a house; this land was located at 84-07 Broadway, two blocks north of the existing church, between St. James and Corona avenues.
The original church building was modified: the southern-facade entrance was closed and replaced with two doors on the eastern facade, while the room in the church's western tower became the vestry room.
The church building was further extended west in 1772.
Following the appointment of Reverend Thomas Colgan as Jamaica rector in 1732, the number of congregants in the Mission Church at Newtown increased. A deed of land was requested from the Newtown government, and granted on April 19, 1733. The deed called for "twenty square rods" of land, which was equivalent to about 62.5 by 86.8 feet (19.1 by 26.5 m). Construction was delayed until funds were raised. Work began in early 1735 and was finished in 1736; records name Joseph Moore as the builder and James Renne Jr. as the carpenter. The pews were added in 1740.
As completed, the church building was "box-like" with wood shingles and round-arched windows, as well as a tower with a steeple and weather vane on its west. The main entrance was on the southern facade, and inside were boxed pews that could be locked. The boxed pews nearest the minister were generally reserved for the most important members of the community, while indentured servants, apprentices, slaves, and Native Americans were seated in the upper level of the tower. The structure in general was characteristic of colonial meeting houses in New England. Colgan remained rector until his death in 1755; Samuel Seabury was appointed as rector in 1757, serving until 1766.
Because of the church's rapid growth in the 1750s, the parishioners applied for a royal charter on September 2, 1761, and received autonomy on September 9. The parish was chartered as the Church of England Parish of Saint James, although it remained under the administration of the Jamaica parish. The charter included the acquisition of 0.25 acres (0.10 ha) behind the church for a cemetery. The same month, doctor Jacob Ogden deeded 12 acres (4.9 ha) to the parish, including a house; this land was located at 84-07 Broadway, two blocks north of the existing church, between St. James and Corona avenues. The original church building was modified: the southern-facade entrance was closed and replaced with two doors on the eastern facade, while the room in the church's western tower became the vestry room. The church building was further extended west in 1772.
St. James Church (Queens)