Godthaab Church traces its history back to 1866 when the charitable foundation Det Classenske Fideicommis acquired a 3 hectares piece of land at the site from the Sindshvile estate. This was done to build residences for indigent workers in the city after the 1853 Copenhagen cholera outbreak had highlighted the dismal living conditions for this part of the population. From 1866 to 1881 the foundation constructed 24 terraces with a total of 378 residences. They were built in yellow brick in two storeys to designs by Vilhelm Tvede. The development also contained a community house, shops, laundry, an orphanage and its own church which was completed in 1880. At that point the development had 1,288 residents, a number which had increased to 1,655 in 1895.