The other half of the population visits historical sites because they would like to experience history in a personal way by being "taken back" to that time period.

[3] In 1853, Louisville Bishop John Martin Spalding requested the twenty-two-year-old seminarian, Father Joseph DeVries, to continue the evergrowing mission.

[4] The Church began its foundations in 1859 when a small frame building was constructed for a school of boys but was used for Mass on Sundays.

Francis Leopold Kister, a master German architect began designing and building the structure.

Father DeVries was buried under the main altar of the Church marked by a marble slab on the sanctuary walls.

[5] During the years of World War I, St. Joseph's Parish was active in contributing aid by selling handmade paper carnations made by the disabled veterans for about 25 cents each (red if the mother was living and white if the mother was deceased)[5] In 1923, the steeple was destroyed by a cyclone and replaced by the current pyramidal structure which rises to about 87 feet (27 m).

Father Raymond G. Hill conducted a drive to fund the Leber family to redecorate the interior of the church after 34 years.

"Pew rent" was also introduced that year which was a way for parishioners to pay for their families to have a special seat for Sunday Mass.