This diminutive gabled brick church has a corner bell tower capped by an open belfry. Recessed stuccoed panels contain paired arched windows. Half timbering ornaments the window panels and the stuccoed gable ends of the central portico and main roof. The scale and workmanship of the building combine to produce a feeling of quiet dignity. Built in 1929 as Mother of Mercy Catholic Church, it served a black congregation organized earlier that year under the auspices of the Fathers of St. Joseph (or “Josephites”), a religious order devoted to the spiritual needs of blacks. Mrs. Roberta Curry Lindsay, a leading black social worker, was instrumental in the formation of the church. The sanctuary was designed by Father N. P. Denis, its pastor. A church school was built nearby in 1931 (see 1000 block Missouri Avenue). In 1955, the church building was sold to Sunshine Cumberland Presbyterian Church, whose congregation still worships here. The building appears to be eligible for the National Register for its connection with local black history. The building and the neighboring parsonage were designated as Historic and Cultural Landmarks in 2002 and were listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.
