The church is estimated to have been built around 1820, making it one of the oldest surviving churches in Alabama, if not the oldest. The earliest record found of the church is from a deed dated March 14, 1848, in which Willie Thompson and his wife, Elizabeth, conveyed the land to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Though the date is given, it more than likely does not give reference to the date that the church was built, as it was common at that time for land to be given to churches without necessity of a deed. Based on the architectural style, it is most likely a few decades older than 1848. The church was Cumberland Presbyterian, which is primarily centered in the American South, especially in the states of Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Missouri, and Texas, and are commonly located in more isolated, rural communities. The Union Grove chapel has two doors in its front, and it is thought that these two doors were used as separate entrances for men and women. Pillars that span across the center of the interior of the building suggest that there may have been a divide in the seating, so that women would sit on one side of the room and men would sit on the other. This likely would have been instilled to prevent any possible distractions that could arise from members of the opposite sex being seated near each other, especially during the service. As it was a small local church, it is also believed that the church was constructed from a huge community effort from the townspeople. In the early 19th century, it was common for all parts of the population to donate labor, money, and material to constructing public buildings. It's likely that the Union Grove Chapel was not only a center of community life in the town, but was also built by the very people who frequented it. It continued to be in service as a church up until 1962, when it was temporarily used as a barn to store hay.
The style of the building is identified as Greek Revival, an architectural trend that was popular in the 19th century. This style was especially popular in the South in the 1830s to the 1840s. Popularity stemmed from the detachment of British influence following the War of 1812 and the United State's desire to cement themselves as a triumphant nation of democracy and culture, using the birthplace of democracy, Greece, as a huge inspiration. Some common features of Greek Revival architecture are low pitched roofs embellished to resemble a temple roof, the use of stucco and wood, simple columns, and doors with heavy trim. These buildings were most often painted white with bold but simple details. This design style became increasingly common through the spread of pattern books that contained all the details and plans that local builders would need to replicate it for their own use. This style was often used in the South in townhouses, churches, and plantation buildings. The Union Grove chapel is a living example of the Greek Revival trend that swept the nation. Many of its features align with the prevalent style of the time: its painted white exterior, dramatic triangular peaked roof, heavy door frames, two-panel doors, and simple rectangular shape. Given that it was used as a local church for a small town, it is likely that it was built by citizens of Union Grove through a collaborative effort, and the necessary information to construct the building may have come through popular pattern books with Greek Revival architectural instructions on them.
The University of Alabama in Huntsville first came about in 1950, and its rapid growth eventually led to the construction of Morton Hall in 1961, followed by additional buildings like the library and the University Center by 1969. Local architect, and historical preservationist, Harvie Jones was the first to propose to relocate the chapel to UAH's campus to the then-president Benjamin Graves around 1973. Jones believed that the church would be an important addition to the newly formed UAH campus and would not only preserve an important piece of Alabama history, but also create cultural ties between the university and its location. After over a year of discussion on the topic, Jack C. Phillips, President Graves's assistant for external relations, pushed for action on moving the church to UAH's campus. The Administrative Committee responded by clarifying that in order for it to be moved, Phillips would have to find a legitimate use for it on campus to justify its relocation. After making a trip to Union Grove to see the chapel and talk to its owner, Mrs. Frank Bendall, Phillips decided that it was most definitely worth attempting to relocate the church and sought out a use for it at UAH. One month later, Professor Jeff Bayer of the Art Department proposed to Phillips that the church may be used as an art museum. Bayer and Phillips presented this idea to the Administrative Committee, who agreed that the church may be moved to the university campus. By December of 1973, the chapel had been donated by its current owner Ms. Frank Bendall to the university, and it was announced that the chapel would soon be relocated to the college campus.
The Union Grove chapel's move to campus started in December of 1973. However, it soon proved to be more challenging than they had originally imagined when it was discovered that the building would not be able to fit under utility lines during the move. Its height of 26 feet exceeded the height limit law, thus transportation of the church would require moving traffic lines and light systems through the expected path. Because of this issue, the chapel sat on the side of the road outside Huntsville's city limits for three weeks in anticipation of continuing the move to campus. UAH agreed to pay almost $1,000 to have two sets of traffic light systems and five flashing beacons temporarily removed to allow for the transportation. The church finally arrived on campus on company. In total, the church's journey from Union Grove to Huntsville took 43 days. It was placed between Morton Hall and the Student Union, where it still stands today.
Restoration efforts were led by Jeff Bayer, a UAH art professor, and was made entirely possible through the help of student volunteers. Just as the church was most likely built through a large group effort from the community, it was restored through a similar effort by students and faculty alike. Bayer estimated that around 4,000 volunteer hours went into the restoration of the church, not to mention the thousands of dollars needed for materials. Having been unused for 14 years, there was much work to be done to not only restore the building to its former glory, but to also install new additions to modernize the structure and make it usable for its intended purpose as an art gallery and event space.