St. Lawrence Church

Nov 4, 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.

In 1831, a log church was built by Father Elisha Durbin, and Father John Wathen became the first resident pastor in 1833. In 1839, 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.