The Reverend John Youngs from Southwold, England founded the first incarnation of this church — the First Church of Christ in Southold — in 1640. The building itself was located a short distance from the present site on Route 25 in Southold. Another church was built in 1684 across the street from the present location, and the church still standing today was erected in 1803. Its steeple was added in 1808 and a bell replaced an iron triangle in 1855. The church was incorporated in 1784 as the First Church, Congregation or Society of Southold and became known as the First Presbyterian Church of Southold in 1832. Some headstones in a nearby graveyard date back to 1672. Today, the Reverend Peter Kelly leads an active congregation in a church that has retained its colonial charm.