Christ Episcopal Church in Guilford came into being in 1744, a missionary outpost of the Church of England. There were eight founding families, who met in each other's homes with itinerant missionaries leading the worship.

Six years later, the first church building was erected, a small wooden structure set on the east side of the town green. Dr. Samuel Johnson, a Guilford native who later became president of Kings College (now Columbia University), delivered the dedication sermon. By 1764, the congregation had grown large enough to call its first rector. There have been sixteen since then. The current rector, the Rev. Norman M. MacLeod III, was installed in the fall of 1997.

The present church building was dedicated in December 1838. Construction of the chancel, with its handsome woodwork, came later and was largely financed by the women of the church. The stained glass windows date back to the 1870s. In 1909 the Rectory at 11 Park Street was purchased. Originally built as a private home in 1798, it is one of the loveliest examples of colonial architecture in the town center.