| Pope Leo XIV's childhood home | |
|---|---|
 The house in 2025 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Private residence |
| Location | 212 East 141st Place Dolton, Illinois, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 41°38′18″N87°36′59″W / 41.6384°N 87.6165°W |
| Completed | 1949 |
| Owner | Prevost family (formerly) Village of Dolton (current) |
The childhood home of Pope Leo XIV (born Robert Prevost) was a brick house located at 212 East 141st Place, Dolton, Illinois, United States. The three-bedroom, two-bathroom, brick house was owned by Leo XIV's parents, Louis and Mildred Prevost, for nearly fifty years. [1] They purchased the home new in 1949, paying $42 a month for the mortgage. [2] They raised their three children here: Louis, John, and Robert (Leo XIV). [1] The future pope used to play pretend as a Catholic priest in the house, using the family's ironing board as an altar. [3] The family attended Mass at Saint Mary of the Assumption Church in nearby Riverdale. [3] Robert Prevost, born in 1955, lived full-time in the house until 1969, when he boarded at St. Augustine Seminary High School in Michigan. [4]
The Prevost family sold the house in 1996, and its ownership changed multiple times in the subsequent years. It was ultimately purchased as a flip property in 2024 and listed for sale for around $200,000 in early 2025, but was taken off the market by the owner after Robert Prevost's election to the papacy in 2025. [2] [5] The house was put up for auction in May 2025 with bidding starting at $250,000. [6] The village government of Dolton announced plans to take ownership of the house and collaborate with the Archdiocese of Chicago to preserve its history and make it into a historic site that will be open to the public. [1] In a letter sent by the village attorney to the property company that owns the home, the village made known their plan to purchase the home or buy it by invoking eminent domain. [1] Nearby residents expressed worry about the purchase of the house by the village; the area had a poverty rate of 20 percent in 2023, and concerns were raised about debt and deteriorating infrastructure, and whether the house would bring in revenue and be of benefit to locals. [7] However, CBS News reported that most residents were supportive. [8] The village's board of trustees voted unanimously in July 2025 to put an offer on the house. [2] They purchased the house later that month for $375,000. [9] [7]
