The parish and the town were established by a group of Italian Americans led by Father Pietro Bandini, who settled in the area as miners and tenant farmers in the late 19th century.

According to local tradition, a picture of Saint Joseph hanging in the schoolhouse was untouched by an arson fire, and the parish was therefore dedicated to him.

Its architecture is characterized by buttresses, lancet-arched windows, and a square tower with open belfry projecting at one corner.

The church has been a major cultural civic center for the local Italian community,[3] and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.

This article about a property in Washington County, Arkansas on the National Register of Historic Places is a stub.