The church building was reportedly designed by a French missionary, Father Papineau. It was actually constructed in 1903 by a master carpenter named Tomitaro Soma of Mikka-machi Tsuruoka. Its design is in the Romanesque style which originated in European medieval architecture. In 1973, this building was officially designated as a Yamagata Prefecture Cultural Treasure and later in 1979 as a National Cultural Assets.

Some unique features of this building are seen its basilica type floor plan which has triple aisles and a polygonal apse. It's almost as if it were a copy of some medieval European cathedral.