Pope Leo XIV’s childhood home has been acquired by the village where he grew up, with plans to transform it into a historical site, local media reported on Friday.
The modest brick home, located in the Chicago suburb of Dolton, with a population of 21,000, was sold by its current owner for $375,000, WGN television reported. The owner had purchased the house for $66,000 last year, prior to Pope Leo’s election as the first American pontiff, and had undertaken extensive renovations.
Earlier this month, the Dolton village board of trustees voted to purchase the three-bedroom house and open it to the public as an attraction. According to WBEZ Chicago radio, Pope Leo’s parents (he was born Robert Prevost) bought the house in 1949 and sold it in 1996.
