The founders of the parish arrived from Galicia, which at that time was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Due to economic hardships and crop failures, migration to America began around 1880. In search of cheap labor and housing, they settled in the Williamsburg and Greenpoint areas of Brooklyn, as well as in Blissville and Maspeth in Queens.

The first services were held in the home of Lucas Taras on North 7th Street in Williamsburg. Joining with other compatriots wishing to establish an Orthodox church, they raised $160, which became the down payment for a $16,000 mortgage to purchase a vacant Methodist church on North 5th Street and Bedford Avenue. The church was named in honor of Saint Vladimir and was reconstructed according to Orthodox canons, including a carved oak iconostasis from the German firm Dopple. Various organizations provided the church with the necessary items for worship.

On Saturday, April 5, 1908, the first Vespers was held, and on Sunday, April 6, 1908, the first Divine Liturgy took place, conducted by Archpriest Alexander Khotovitsky from St. Nicholas Cathedral in Manhattan. The first rector was Father Theophan Buketov, who arrived from Montreal, Canada.

As the parish grew, the need for a larger church arose. For its construction, a plot was chosen between Williamsburg and Greenpoint, where 5 building lots were purchased at the corner of North 12th Street and Driggs Avenue for $16,000. Architect Louis Almandiger designed the church inspired by the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin with five domes and four columns. The construction was entrusted to the Schneider company for $117,000, starting work in 1916.

Due to a lack of funds, in 1919 the old church on North 5th Street was sold, and services began to be held in the unfinished building. Father Ioann Krohmaly led the fundraising efforts to complete the construction, the cost of which increased by $20,000. Various organizations and individuals donated stained glass, and the Trinity Brotherhood gifted a bell weighing 1002 pounds.

The new church had three altars: the northern altar dedicated to Saint Vladimir, the central altar to the Transfiguration of the Lord, and the southern altar to the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos. On September 3, 1922, Metropolitan Platon (Rozhdestvensky) performed the great consecration of the church.