A medieval Romanesque church stood at Varola from the mid-12th century. It was replaced in 1842 by a new church built in Karl Johan style with three towers, but the building had been raised on poorly piled, unstable ground, and cracks appeared in the nave walls within a decade, forcing its replacement.
The present church was completed in 1864, built by local master builders Gustav Andersson and Johan Larsson, who went on to construct several other churches in the diocese. It is typical of its period, blending Empire and neo-Gothic influences within a round-arched style. The tower carries a tall lantern, and the sacristy to the north has its own small tower. The altar is unusually placed at the south end, and the interior is dominated by a heavy timber-beamed ceiling.
During a renovation in 1954-55, led by Anders Ekman, a new brick altar and altarpiece were installed. The altarpiece, painted by artist Bengt Hamrén in 1955, was designed to conceal a window with stained glass behind it.
Among the older furnishings, the font is medieval, and the rounded pulpit—brought over from the previous church—is a Baroque piece, thought to have been carved by Bengt Wedulin, decorated with acanthus foliage and figures of the evangelists.
The church bells have their own history: the larger bell was originally cast in 1514 and recast in 1738, while the smaller bell is a plain late-medieval type without inscriptions. The organ, on the north gallery, retains its original 1875 case by Setterquist & Son, though the mechanism was rebuilt in 1966 by Nordfors & Co using some of the earlier material.