The area was fast developing following the installation of the Great Eastern Railway. The first proposal to build St Michael's came from a meeting of 25 people held in the schoolroom of St James's Church Walthamstow. St James's Church was already bursting at the seams with regular congregations of around 1000.

Great excitement ensued on 21 July 1884, when at a special ceremony Fr Edmund Ibbotson conducted a short service inside the outline of the foundations of the church, on which were located the Sunday School children. After giving his sermon from a 'pulpit' which was, in fact, a wheelbarrow, they started digging with spades, coal scuttles and any other implement they could find, in the process earning themselves the nickname 'St Michael's Diggers'.

The massive stone font is decorated with carvings of the Four Evangelists and the font cover is American walnut. The lancet windows show angels leading children to Christ, and the brick arch holds a palindrome in Greek (can be read exactly the same either from the left or the right): it translates as 'Wash away my sins, not my face only'. On the Baptistery roof, you will see stencilled panels with the names of deceased members of the Sunday School. The mosaic floor shows a stream with fish among reeds and waterlilies.

The Church, Church Hall and Vicarage are all Grade II listed buildings.

Today the church is very much loved and used by the local community. Bach to Baby group use the church as a venue to introduce babies to classical music. The church is a beautiful reminder of Walthamstow past and it is a vital and living part of the community.