Holy Cross Lithuanian Roman Catholic Church
Also known as: Holy Cross Parish
Why it's listed
Holy Cross Lithuanian Roman Catholic Church, at 1924 Leo Street in Dayton, is a brick gable-front church built between 1912 and 1915 to designs by William Jaekle. Lithuanian immigrants who settled in North Dayton and worked in nearby factories organized to found their own parish, which was officially established in 1914. In 1963-64 the building was remodeled by Chicago architect John Mulokas, who added polychromatic brickwork, engraved glass doors and a bell tower with Lithuanian designs. Inside, stained glass shows a panorama of crosses based on Lithuanian roadside and hillside crosses, and the altars honor Our Lady of the Gates of Dawn and St. Casimir. A Shrine of the Three Crosses was added in 1965 to honor martyrs for the faith. The nomination presents the church as a record of ethnic identity lasting beyond the first immigrant generation. It is one of only three Lithuanian parishes in Ohio and remains an active center of Lithuanian culture.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the church is one of five ethnic parishes in Dayton documenting the immigration of Eastern Europeans between 1885 and 1915. Its remodeling in Lithuanian folk style is cited as evidence of cultural persistence past the first immigrant generation. It is also noted as one of only three Lithuanian parishes in Ohio and the only one in southern Ohio.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 91001582, listed November 5, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1924 Leo St., Dayton |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | November 5, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91001582 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1965 |
| Architect / builder | William Jaekle (1912-1915); John Mulokas (1963-1964); contractor Valerian Sodeika |
| Architectural style | OTHER/Lithuanian ethnic |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Art, Religion, Other-Ethnic, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a parish church with about 250 parishioners and one Lithuanian-language mass each week; the form describes its future as uncertain. |
| Acreage | 1.2 |
| Coordinates | 39.78161, -84.16773 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 91001582.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5885275
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.