The Neo-Gothic church in Ruotsinpyhtää was built between 1770 and 1771. The church has an octagonal shape and is the oldest central-plan church in Finland, meaning that the structure is symmetrical, and the spaces are arranged around a raised center.

Originally, the church was tar-black, but its appearance changed in 1898, when it received new windows, a white painted exterior, and a new altarpiece. The altarpiece, titled The Resurrection, was painted by Helene Schjerfbeck. It is the only altarpiece Schjerfbeck ever painted.

Ruotsinpyhtää Church is located in the idyllic and picturesque Strömfors Ironworks, one of the oldest ironworks in Finland. The western branch of the Kymi River flows through the ironworks area, which also features several restaurants, exhibitions, and boutiques. From the ironworks area, the 8 km Kukuljärvi hiking trail also begins.