The church of St George-in-the-East was designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor. The foundations were laid in 1714, the building roofed in 1717, and the church was finally dedicated on July 19, 1729. The new parish was created out of the Parish of Stepney and named St George-ion-the-East, in order to distinguish it from other parishes named after St George.
The church was built on a confined site hemmed in, on its south side, by the buildings which ran along the Ratcliff Highway (now The Highway). Nicholas Hawksmoor designed the church to soar above these buildings, thus ensuring that much of the detail of the church would remain visible for years to come. The original church was formed in the shape of a Greek cross within a rectangle. It had 'pepper-pot' towers, over the gallery staircases, and a tower, at the west end, that featured an open octagon top stage.
In May 1941, during the Blitz, an incendiary bomb hit the church and destroyed the interior. Although the interior was damaged beyond repair, the walls and the 'pepper-pot' turrets remained standing. In 1964, Arthur Bailey designed a modern church interior, which was constructed inside the existing walls, and which was dedicated in April 1964. At the same time a ring of eight replacement bells, cast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, were installed.
