The seminary was the first in the United States to accept Black men into formation for the Catholic priesthood and religious life.

St Joseph's was originally founded in Baltimore, Maryland in 1888 by Fr John R. Slattery for the Mill Hill Missionaries, from which the Josephites became independent 5 years later.

[1] The building is located on the Brookland neighborhood of DC, also known as "Little Rome", known for the various Catholic institutions established in the area following the revelation of plans for the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in 1914.

[1] In recent decades, the seminary has functioned as the residence for the society's seminarians, most of whom hail from Nigeria and study at the nearby Catholic University of America.

Due to the society's financial difficulties, the property's significant backyard green space was sold in 2017, later developed into a set of townhouses opened in 2022.