St. Lawrence Church

In November of 1828, Benjamin Field and William R. Griffith donated 200 acres and sold an additional 160 acres to Rev. Benedict J. Flaget, Bishop of Bardstown, for the establishment of a Catholic settlement of a Catholic settlement in Daviess County. St. Lawrence Church, near Knottsville, the first Catholic church built in Daviess County was erected on this property. Father Charles Nerinckx led the first Catholic services in the county around 1820-21 in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ezekiel Henning on Aull Road, east of Knottsville. St. Mary of the Woods in Whitesville is a daughter church of St. Lawrence.

Religious revivals were held frequently in the precinct, and the Bethlehem campgrounds were the most popular site for the meetings. Ministers who preached there were strongly against the use of liquor, and a few humorous incidents involving the forbidden drink were handed down from one generation to the next. In one instance, a close watch was being kept on the grounds for jugs of the liquor. As a Rev. Palmer was inspecting the outskirts, he saw a man with a sack across his shoulder. Supposing, of course, that it was filled with whiskey jugs, he gave chase and caught the man. The minister asked the man to carry the sack back to the pulpit and open it, which he did, revealing pumpkins. During the same meeting, retrieved whiskey jugs were brought to the service and the ministers threw them against trees, breaking them and destroying the whiskey. One minister threw a jug against a tree, but it didn't break. A member of the congregation stepped up and offered to break it. The jug was handed to him, but instead of breaking it, he made his way through the crowd and off the grounds, carrying his trophy with him.

Church Buildings

In 1831, a log church was built by Father Elisha Durbin, and Father John Wathen became the first resident pastor in 1833. In 1839-'40, a brick church was built. In 1870, it was replaced with the present church which was dedicated on Nov 1, 1872.

St. Lawrence School

Father John C. Wathen. Mr. William F. McGerry was engaged in January 1837 to teach a school at St. Lawrence, called the St. Lawrence Institute, which eventually took in boarders. A parish school was built in 1879 and was taught by the Franciscan Sisters of Mount Olivet from Gethsemani, Kentucky until sometime after 1889. The school was then taught by public school teachers for several years. It was not until 1920 when the Ursuline Sisters of Mount St. Joseph were requested to teach at St. Lawrence which once again had a Catholic school.

St. Lawrence Cemetery

The first person buried in St. Lawrence Catholic Cemetery was Mrs. Jennie Bowlds, in 1829 or '30. The second person buried in this cemetery was Mrs. Katie Aull, and the third was George Montgomery, a small boy.

Deed Information

Plat: 34-221

Year	Grantee	Grantor	Type	Book	Page	Description
1828	Rev Benedict Joseph Flaget	Benjamin Field & William R Griffith	Deed	C	47	360ac Hardinsburg Rd
1946	St. Lawrence Parish	Rev. John A. Floersh	Deed	170	552	Land St. Lawrence Rd

This table needs further research as various people may have bought/sold the land without the St. Lawrence name.

Possible other matches thus far:

• 1925 - Pius W Payne to John A Floersh, 115-403, 5.3ac Knottsville

• 1926 - Mary Hoskins to John A Floersh, 116-570, 2.5ac Knottsville

Source: History of Daviess County, Kentucky. Chicago: Interstate Publishing Co., 1883. Print.

Source: Messenger-Inquirer, 10/25/1994