The oldest of the roots of Newington Trinity Church was the ‘New Association Congregation’, a breakaway in 1792 from Edinburgh’s first Antiburgher church. The dispute was over the choice of minister. The breakaway congregation erected a meeting house in a courtyard off Potterrow and worshipped there until 1867 when a new church was built at Hope Park. The site is now occupied by the Edinburgh Mosque & Islamic Centre.

The carved stone now standing in the halls entrance at Newington Trinity Church commemorates the founding of the Potterow Meeting House which was reached by a close or pend leading off Potterow.

The church was know as Potterrow Antiburgher, Potterrow United Secession and finally Potterrow United Presbyterian Church.