In 1876 Peter and Martha Cullen were married and settled on a farm near Needmore, the only Catholic family in Brown County.  Their daughter Mary Catherine Robertson attended St. Agnes Church from its beginning as did her granddaughter Mary Ann Walker.

In the decade of the 1930’s before St. Agnes Church was built the Catholics living near Nashville included the artist V. J. Cariani.  Some Brown County Catholics attended Sunday Mass by Father Francis Kull from St. Martin of Tours; the Mass was held in a store front in Morgantown.

Joseph and Agnes Marie Nurre of Bloomington had prospered through their plate glass business and in 1937 they proposed to Bishop Ritter that they build a chapel in thanksgiving for their good fortune and for their children.  Bishop Ritter asked them to contribute to the establishment of a church in Nashville. The log church in Nashville was dedicated in 1940 and named for St. Agnes, the patron saint of Mrs. Nurre.

A two story annex was constructed behind the church for classroom and office spaces in 1972 under the direction of Fr. Cliff Vogelsang. A third floor was added to the annex in 1980 to provide more worship space under the direction of Fr. Mark Svarczkopf. It joined with the original church so that services in the new chapel could be heard and observed from there.  Sister Marsha Speth, SP, became Pastoral Associate in 1979, the first to be assigned to St. Agnes.

An amphitheatre for outdoor Mass was built on the slope behind the church with a Grotto and a Marian Shrine in 1982. In 1985 a Saturday evening Mass was established at the Brown County State Park, held from the last weekend in May to the last weekend in October.  Fr. Paul Koetter was appointed pastor that year, the first to be assigned to St. Agnes.  Sister Speth was replaced by Sister Mildred Wannemuehler in 1986.

Planning for a new church began in 1992 under the direction of Fr. Paul and Sr. Mildred   in response to a need for more worship space and more parking space.  Fr. Paul was replaced as Pastor in 1997 by Fr. Bill Stumpf.

A twenty acre property half a mile west of the center of Nashville was purchased in 2001 as the site for a new church. The original church was sold to the Presbyterian Fellowship in 2002 and ground was broken for the new church.  St. Agnes members shared the old church with the Presbyterians during the building of the new church. The first Mass in the new church was celebrated on November 15;  the church was dedicated a week later. In 2005 Sister Mildred retired and was replaced by Sister Eileen Flavin, CSC.  In 2007 Fr. Bill was replaced by Fr. Eric Johnson.
(Submitted by Dr. Keith Bradway)