The childhood home of Pope Leo XIV in Dolton, Illinois, has been designated a historic landmark, the culmination of a monthslong effort beginning with his election as Bishop of Rome this spring.
The Dolton board of trustees approved the motion during a meeting on Dec. 1, with Mayor Jason House describing the decision as a “very big moment” for residents of the predominantly Black village near Chicago’s South Side.
“This allows us to qualify for special state funding that, for any place that's designated a historical site, the village is now capable—assuming that this passes—to receive funding under that means as well as other [donations].”
The one-story brick home at 212 E 141st Place was purchased by Leo’s parents, Louis and Mildred Prevost, after their marriage in 1949. Four decades earlier, Mildred’s parents—the mixed-race Black Creole couple Joseph and Louise Martinez—had arrived in Chicago from New Orleans during the Great Migration in the early 20th century. They thereafter identified as White, with Leo only recently learning of his African ancestry.
Born Robert Prevost in 1955 in Chicago, Leo was raised in Dolton before entering formation for the priesthood in 1969. He studied at St. Augustine Seminary High School in Laketown Township, Michigan, and later Villanova University before obtaining a Master of Divinity from Catholic Theological Union in Hyde Park.
Leo was ordained to the priesthood in 1982 and served as a missionary in Peru before his election as superior general of the Augustinians in 2001. Pope Francis named him Bishop of Chiclayo in Peru in 2015, and made him a cardinal in 2023. He led the Vatican’s Dicastery for Bishops at the time of his election as pope in May 2025.
Nate Tinner-Williams
Thereafter, the village of Dolton began plans to purchase Leo’s childhood home, which had been sold by the Prevosts in 1996. It was for sale at the time of the conclave, though it was quickly taken off the market following his election. It was then put up for auction and purchased by the Dolton government for $375,000 in July.
The village has already begun hosting public events at the property, including a birthday celebration on Sept. 14 featuring gospel music, prayer, and remarks from a local Catholic priest.
This fall, Dolton officials established a Historic Preservation Commission, which will spearhead efforts to turn the three-bedroom home into a historic site open to the public for tours. The members were sworn in during a meeting in October.
“We are a seven-member commission and we're very excited about this, because this is something very new to the village,” said Village Clerk Alison Key, who is part of the all-volunteer group.
“We want to make sure that it's done correct and in order, and we just want to make sure that everybody is excited and that you are proud to live in Dolton, the home of Pope Leo XIV.”
During the Dec. 1 meeting, Mayor House described the preservation as fluid, currently consisting of a document review process and evaluation of different options for how the final project will look. He noted that a target timeline for the opening of the historic site is spring 2027.
Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger.
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