In 1880, about sixty families of Polish descent, identified as Silesian Poles, bought land in this sparsely settled area, and after their arrival the town became known as Kosciuszko, named for the Polish American hero General Thaddeus Kosciuszko. In 1892 the settlers built their first Polish Catholic school, St. Ann's, a small one-room school run by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, who lived in an attached room. In 1898, under the direction of the Reverend Stanislaus Przyborowski, pastor of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Czestochowa, the people of Kosciuszko built their first Catholic church for $2,000 plus donations. Also named St. Ann's, the small wooden church measured 80 feet by 40 feet, was one of the largest churches in Wilson County at the time, and was dedicated on October 27, 1898. It was a mission of Czestochowa for three years, and in 1901 a rectory and cemetery were established. The first convent for the Sisters of Charity was built in 1918. By 1933 the parish had 146 families, and the wooden church was enlarged by 25 feet as the congregation continued to grow. Over the years, a Polish choir and various societies were organized in the church. In 1951 a new church building was erected with a modified Gothic design, two sacristies, a baptistry, and a large sanctuary. On October 25, 1998, the church celebrated its centennial, and at that time the parish consisted of 224 families. Parishioners continue to practice the traditions of their ancestors, and the church remains the center of this small Polish community.