| Pope Leo XIV's childhood home | |
|---|---|
 The house in 2025 | |
 Interactive map of Pope Leo XIV's childhood home | |
| 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 /41.6384; -87.6165 |
| Completed | 1949 |
| Owner | Prevost family (formerly) Village of Dolton (current) |
The childhood home ofPope Leo XIV (born Robert Prevost) is asingle-family detached brick house located at212 East 141st Place inDolton, Illinois, United States. The three-bedroom, two-bathroom house was owned by his parents, Louis and Mildred Prevost, from 1949 until the 1990s.[1] The couple purchased the newly-built house with a monthlymortgage payment of $42.[2] They raised their three children there: Louis, John, and Robert (later Pope Leo XIV).[1]
During his youth, Robert Prevost reportedly played pretend as aCatholic priest, using the family'sironing board as analtar.[3] The Prevost family were members ofSaint Mary of the Assumption Church in the nearbyChicago neighborhood ofRiverdale.[3] Born in 1955, Robert lived in the house full-time until 1969, when he began attendingSt. Augustine Seminary High School inLaketown Township, Michigan.[4]
The Prevost family sold the home in 1996. It changed ownership several times in subsequent years. The house was purchased in 2024 as aflip property and listed for sale at approximately $200,000 in early 2025. The listing was withdrawn after the2025 conclave, in which Prevost was elected as Pope Leo.[2][5] In May 2025, the house was placed up for auction with bidding starting at $250,000.[6]
The village government of Dolton announced plans to acquire the house and collaborate with theArchdiocese of Chicago to preserve it as ahistoric site open to the public.[1] According to a letter from the village attorney to the property's owner, the municipality expressed intent to purchase the house, including the option of acquisition througheminent domain if necessary.[1] Local news reports indicated general community support for the initiative, though some residents raised concerns about the village's debt, infrastructure conditions, and the potential economic benefits of the project.[7][8]
In July 2025, the Dolton Village Board of Trustees voted unanimously to make an offer on the property and completed its purchase later that month for $375,000.[2][7][9]
Born Robert Francis Prevost, September 14, 1955
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