You have comments? You know about additional Lithuanian sites in the mapped area? You know corrections? Please leave a comment bellow.
You have comments? You know about additional Lithuanian sites in the mapped area? You know corrections? Please leave a comment bellow.
Although I have never been there, wouldn’t the Chicago area
also have a cluster of Lithuanian churches, cemeteries, etc?
Also there is a monument to Lithuanian Franciscans at St. John’s Cemetery in Middle Village, Queens, NYC.
Could you please tell me the exact coordinates of the Lithuanian Franciscans monument (zoom it on Google Maps, click it, and send the coordinates)? I could then add it to the map.
As for Chicago, it has much Lithuanian heritage and so does many other cities in the Mid-West. “Destination America 2017” project, however, covered the mapping of Mid-Atlantic and New England only. We have plans for “Destination America 2018” to Mid-West, subject to funding. Then, this map would be expanded the next year. So far, you may read about Chicago Lithuanian sites in our other website: http://global.truelithuania.com/chicago-illinois-45/
Hi, I am a native of Cleveland, Ohio and we have a robust Lithuanian Community.
Lithuanian Cultural Garden at 1007 East Blvd, Cleveland, OH 44108 http://www.clevelandculturalgardens.org/gardens/lithuanian-garden/
Lithuanian American Citizens Club 877 E 185th St, Cleveland, OH 44119
The original Lithuanian Catholic church and school was St. George @ 6527 Superior Avenue, in Cleveland, Ohio. However the Cle diocese closed it and it was bought by another org. The congregation mostly moved to Our Lady of Perpetual Help @ 18022 Neff Rd; Cleveland, Ohio 44119. The often host practises for The Lithuanian Atheletic Club http://www.zaibas.org
Just a little to get started, I will add more, like cemetaries.
Many Lithuanians are buried at All Souls Cemetary @ 10366 Chardon Rd.Chardon, OH 44024 including former Lithuanian president Anatanas Smetona.
Thank you, I know about the Lithuanian sites in Cleveland. They are mentioned on my other site “Global True Lithuania” – http://global.truelithuania.com/cleveland-ohio-36/ (if there are any sites unmentioned on that website, please list them here and I’ll update).
However, “Destination America 2017” mapping project covered only the Mid-West and New England. If “Destination – America 2018” will go through, it will include Cleveland. I will then visit these sites and put them on map. Currently, I wrote about them on the “Global True Lithuania” based on the information available online but quality research is only possible at the location, as anything based on the old information from the books or internet tends to have some mistakes and not be complete.
You should have called it destination New England, not Destination American
Currently, “Destination America” map consists not only of New England (6 states) but also Mid-Atlantic (5 states + DC). In fact, most of the marked Lithuanian sites (~65%) are in the Mid-Atlantic rather than in New England. Also, “Destination America” is a wider project than the 2017 edition, so, after the upcoming editions, other regions of the USA and beyond will also be hopefully included, expanding the project to more of America. It is the best to use a single name for the whole project rather than calling them “Destination Mid-Atlantic and New England”, “Destination Mid-West”, etc. Furthermore, most Lithuanians live outside the USA don’t know the meanings of terms “Mid-Atlantic” or “Mid-West”.
is there any location information available about the Dr. Mykolas Devenis’ farm outside Waterbury, CT? It was home to many post-WWII D.P. arrivals, including for a short time myself (as an infant) and family. My godfather Vaclovas Birziska spent a lot of time there.
I don’t have such information. I also do not have the information on whether it meets the criteria of the sites to be marked on map. In general, the mere fact that some home was for some time owned by a Lithuanian or that Lithuanian lived there, doesn’t warrant that. However, if there are Lithuanian details remaining, or if important decisions have been made at that building, or if famous people used it for a long time, that could warrant the home’s inclusion should its location be known. If you know such things, please share.
Norwood, Ma.
The monument to Lithuanians who died in WWII had been in front of St George’s Lithuanian church. When the church was closed, the monument was moved to the Highland Cemetery in Norwood.
Thank you for the information! We would like to add its location to the map.
Could you specify its exact location? That is, could you zoom the cemetery on the Google Maps, click on the exact spot where the monument is now, and then post here the coordinates?
Lithuanian Club St. Petersburg Fl.
Thanks. So far, however, the “Destination – America” map includes only the Mid-Atlantic and New England. It may expand further later. Currently, we have information on Florida sites, including the club, on our other website:
http://global.truelithuania.com/florida-1845/
there is a Latvian club on rt527 and cross street on the Jackson/ Lakewood border in new jersey that is used by Lithuanians, I’m pretty sure they still use it does this count?
According to our rules, the mere fact that Lithuanians use some institution alone is not enough to warrant its inclusion. However, if the club building also has any Lithuanian details (e.g. a Lithuanian flag, Lithuanian traditional cross, etc.), even if those would be smaller than Latvian details – that would make the site meet the criteria for inclusion. Our criteria are here: http://map.truelithuania.com/en/explanations-of-the-map2/ . See the section on “Lithuanian details”. If you know more about the Lithuanian details in the club, if they exist, please inform us and send an image, if you could.
St. Casmir cemetary outside Chicago, Nativity BVM church And school in Chicago, Maria High School (now part of the Chicago school system) in Chicago.
There are many Lithuanian sites in the Chicago area. We have an article for Chicago here with many of these sites mentioned as well: http://global.truelithuania.com/chicago-illinois-45/ . As for the map, so far it covers just the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions. However, its expansion into Mid-West is among the plans.
In Worcester, Massachusetts, most Lithuanians are buried in either one of the city’s two Roman Catholic cemeteries: St. John’s Cemetery, 260 Cambridge Street, or Notre Dame Cemetery, 162 Webster Street. There was a significant early immigrant Lithuanian population in the Cambridge Street neighborhood, e.g., on Kansas and Southgate Streets.
Thank you for the information,
However, according to the criteria for the selection of Lithuanian sites for the map, we mark as cemeteries only the Lithuanian cemeteries (i.e. those where the majority of burials are Lithuanians, those officially named “Lithuanian”, etc.).
Additionally, we mark the graves of the famous Lithuanians and Lithuanian cemetery monuments are marked even if they are located in non-Lithuanian cemeteries. We also mark if there are Lithuanian monuments in the cemeteries. Do you know if there is anything like that in the said cemeteries, or anything visibly Lithuanian in the Cambridge Street neighborhood (e.g. a monument, a Lithuanian-language sign or such)?
In general, the mere fact that a cemetery has Lithuanian burials is not enough for its inclusion in the map. That is because, given the number of Lithuanian-Americans in the USA, at least tens of thousands of the US cemeteries are likely to have numerous Lithuanian burials. This is beyond the scope of “Destination America”, however.
The criteria for the selection of the sites for the map are available here: http://map.truelithuania.com/en/explanations-of-the-map2
There was. Lithuanian church in Westville, Illinois but it was merged with another Catholic church in town. However, there still is Lithuanian National Cemetery in Westville, Illinois.
Thank you. We know about Westville and I have written a short article on my another website: http://global.truelithuania.com/westville-illinois-2282/ .
Illinois, however, is beyond the scope of this map, which only covers Mid-Atlantic and New England now. Hopefully, we will expand it to Mid-West (depending on funding) in 2018 and then we’d also visit Westville, take pictures there, meet the local Lithuanians and update both the article linked above and this map, marking the Westville Lithuanian sites.
Thank you for this informative web site that comes as a present this Christmas 2017. It will help me in future research for my lost Pupininkas/Papnick family in upstate New York & Boston areas. My immigrant grandfather John Pupininkias arrived in Pennsylvania coal country at age 15. My mother Elaine was born in Lucerne and the family moved to St. George Parish in the Bridgeport community of Chicago where I was schooled and raised. I have found one Pupininkas family in Vilnius, but we don’t know how we relate. Researchers there say Pupininkas records are extinct. I fear extermination in WWII. As I remain hopeful to find Pupininkas/Papnick relatives in NY and MA, all that appears to remain is our Papnick family in America.
Good luck with your research! By the way, I work with archive search and so we could offer you heritage search services in Lithuania if needed: http://www.truelithuania.com/about-us-contacts . However, from what you write I’d assume you’d already hired someone (researchers) to look at the Lithuanian archives?
The title is: lithuanian churches in América, but I see only in NORTH América! América include too Central América and South América, and there are lithuanian churches too in Brazil (São Paulo city), Uruguay (Montevideo city)!
So far, the map is actually much smaller than the whole North America either, as this is just the phase 1 of the mapping project that included 11 states of the USA. However, in my other website “Global True Lithuania” I have already added the information on the Latin America.
Brazil: http://global.truelithuania.com/brazil-474/
Uruguay: http://global.truelithuania.com/uruguay-492/
Argentina: http://global.truelithuania.com/argentina-390/
In case of Brazil, I have been there last year and took pictures as well as spoke with numerous Lithuanian-Brazilians, so the information on Sao Paulo should be rather complete. In case of Argentina and Uruguay, I haven’t been there, so the information is as much as I was able to acquire despite the distance.
Labas Augustinai, puikus darbai, labai grazi iniciatyva! Su idomumu sekame “Tikslas – Amerika” eiga http://www.draugas.org, o kuomet bus laikas Vakaru pakrante aplankyti, su malonumu padesime…as cia Portlande dabar 3 metai, pragyvenes JAV 24, pries tai CT ir NJ, todel viska, ka aplankete siemet Rytu pakranteje, puikiai pazistama:) o cia trumpai apie Portlanda pradziai, kad susidarytumei ispudi:) http://pasauliolietuvis.lt/portlando-lietuviu-palikimui-nelemta-nugrimzti-uzmarstin/ – kol kas, Laurynas R. Misevicius, OR.
Dėkui ir džiugu, kad domitės! Kol kas artimiausiame plane neturime Vakarų pakrantės – tikimės šiais metais, jei gausime finansavimą, aplankyti Vidurio Vakarus (Mid-West), o kitais – Kanadą ir vakarinį Niujorką. Tačiau projektui tęsiantis ateitų laikas ir labiau nutolusioms lietuvybės salomis JAV, tokiomis kaip Los Andželas, Oregono ir Vašingtono valstijų vietos, Teksasas, Florida, Omaha ir pan.
Kol kas, viskas susiveda į finansavimą – Naujojoje Anglijoje, Vidurio Atlanto regione, Vidurio Vakaruose išeina pigiau, nes dešimtis ir net šimtus lietuviškų vietų galima aplankyti greitai automobiliu. Tuo tarpu jei per tą patį laiką aplankyti “nutolusias” nuo pagrindinių židinių vietas, tai reikėtų vidinių skrydžių (tarkime, iš Los Andželo į Portlandą), kas kainuoja brangiau. Tačiau tikimės, kad anksčiau ar vėliau pavyks ir tada būtinai jums parašysime!
Malonu susipazinti… Aciu uz demesi. Linkime Dievo palaimos!
Dėkui!
Please include St. Peters Catholic Church in Boston and in Worcester, St. Casimir’s Church and Maronis park(sp). Many years ago my Aunt Margaret and her husband Walter Delonis owned and operated a small Lithuanian supermarket, the DELONIS MARKET. I think it closed in the early 60’s. It was around the corner from St. Casimir’s in Worcester. I helped out as a young boy a few times in the summer and I remember that most of the customers spoke Lithuanian. I had a decent knowledge of Lithuanian and my sweet Aunt Margaret taught me many ‘store’ words I might still remember. I would love myself to find out more history of my family and the Delonis Market., but I seldom if ever hear from any of my cousins for whom the store was a part of their young life too. I am proud that my wonderful Aunt MARGARET was an American pioneer of Lithuanian born immigrants melding into the society. She loved the USA but never forgot her roots. Margaret Delonis was president of the St. Casimir’s School Mothers Guild, financial secretary of the Lithuanian Roman Catholic Women’s Alliance, branch 5 for 35 years, Knights of Lithuania Council 26 and a member of the St. Casimir’s sisters Auxilliary.
I will never forget the DELONIS MARKET and the wonderful influence the Lithuanian cultural experience has been to my life.
These sites are already included in the map. Please zoom in on Boston and Worcester.
Boston map: http://map.truelithuania.com/en/boston-map-of-lithuanian-sites/
Worcester map: http://map.truelithuania.com/en/worcester-map-of-lithuanian-sites/
My sister and I are the remainers of our Lithuanian family. Originally from Detroit, we lived our lives in different places of America. She in Minneapolis, myself in Los Angeles. We have now come together in the beginning of our autumn years and moved together to Raleigh, N.C. I have looked and found nothing around that is remotely Lithuanian. Please advise us closest places to find a community or even a bakery from which we can savor Yoda fiona. Etc. Aciu labai, Robertas ir Liana Palaikis.
Unfortunately, North Carolina is not known for Lithuanian heritage. Historically, Lithuanians did not move into the US south, and so they have not built their great churches and clubs there nor have large Lithuanian communities.
When clicking on an icon on the map, is there a chance the information that appears in the box could also be in English?
There are two versions of the map. When you use Lithuanian version, all the descriptions are Lithuanian. When you use English version, they all are English. On the left there is a language picker – click English. Alternatively, use this link: http://map.truelithuania.com/en/16856-2/
A couple spots not on the Detroit map:
– St. Anthony Church (Šv. Antanas) – 1750 25th Street, Detroit
– Lithuanian Saturday school was held at Vandenburg Elementary School in Redford Township, MI in the ’60s – ’70s
St. Anthony church is already on the map. Please select the map with all the objects marked (map of Detroit is here: http://map.truelithuania.com/en/detroit-map-of-lithuanian-heritage-sites/ ). Then zoom in, so the church would not be covered by the Lithuanian Hall mark.
The former site of Lithuanian Saturday school is beyond the scope of our project. We only include the sites that have Lithuanian markings on them or had such markings for a long time (e.g. on the facade). In this case, Lithuanian Saturday School simply rented a location for their activities in a non-Lithuanian elementary school. We do not include such rented premises. The criteria for the inclusion of sites are here: http://map.truelithuania.com/en/explanations-of-the-map2/ .
A comment that unfortunately disappeared asked about the St. Casimir School in Chicago between Western and Kedzie avenues.
This school operated in the St. Casimir Sisters Convent. In 1952, it moved and was renamed Maria High School.
Do you use videos on this site. I have a video of the interior of Holy Trinity on South Street in Wilkes Barre take in 1995 for my uncles 50th anniversary. I think the interior had recently been repainted. I would also like to know when the church in Wilkes Barre Township was established as a Lithuanian Church.
While I do not use video now, I would be grateful if you could send it. I may take out still images of the interior from the video, also, I collect materials as a digital archive in order to help with my further research.
I am now checking if Wilkes-Barre township church is correctly listed as Lithuanian, as it appears in some sources and not in others. Do you believe it was not a Lithuanian church?
Grand Rapids, MI has more than Lithuanian Halls. There is a Lithuanian parish — SS Peter & Paul Church & school ( also a convent & rectory) built by Lithuanians, a cemetary where the majority of those buried there are Lithuanians or of Lithuanian descent, a large Lithuanian cross created by J. Daugvila on the premises. There were stores owned by Lithuanians. There was a definite Lithuanian neighborhood, etc. Muskegon, MI has a Lithuanian hall. There are many farms in the Ludington area that were owned & settled by Lithuanians. Also there is Rakas Lithuanian Scout Camp in that area.
Chicago , Marquette neighborhood at one time was entitled, Little Lithuania. They of course have many more Lithuanian thins than listed here.called.
California has several Lithuanian things that are not shown here.
The places in Grand Rapids, Rakas, Muskegon, and Chicago that you mention are already marked on the map. See the full map at http://map.truelithuania.com/en/16856-2/ and zoom in on those sites.
As for Los Angeles, indeed, the map has not yet reached West Coast. The original plan was to have an expedition to the west coast (that would have expanded the map) in the autumn of 2020. However, pandemics have changed these plans. Now, we plan to add the west coast (also Omaha, Texas and various places between Midwest and West Coast) in the autumn of 2021.
Good Morning. Loved using your sight while in N.Y.C. Little known fact, and very small bit of Information for you. During the 1890’s early 1900’s a small group of Lithuanian’s traveled as far west as Pueblo Colorado. The Coordinates; 38.24653, -104.6094. Is St. Mary’s Catholic Church, where I was able to locate baptism and marriage Records for moms Family Name Adomaitis, other Lithuanian Names that appear in the Marriage and baptism records, are, Dauksas, Jauglies. Many Lithuanians went here for the Coal and Steel mills. Moms family was in Pueblo 1899-1910 then Chicago with the rest of the family.
Thank you for the information. However, do I understand correctly that it was not a Lithuanian church but rather a church were some Lithuanians attended? If so, unfortunately, it would go beyond our criteria of inclusion, as today probably nearly every larger church or cemetery in the USA would have had some Lithuanians or people of Lithuanian descent attending / buried.
We, however, include only Lithuanian churches, cemeteries, etc. E.g. Officially titled so OR where the Lithuanians formed a majority OR where Lithuanian language and symbols was used in the decor. If the aforementioned church indeed was Lithuanian in one of these ways, please confirm it and we would add it.
Even if the church is not Lithuanian, maybe there is something else Lithuanian in the area, e.g. a street named after a Lithuanian, a monument or such?
Indeed, I know about the historic Lithuanian community in Colorado. However, despite its size, I was unable so far to find any location that would qualify as a Lithuanian heritage. It would be indeed very interesting if such locations exist, as we plan to visit Colorado ourselves in 2021.
I have been told that there is a Lithuanian Hall (with wording engraved in stone) in Ogeslby, Illinois as well as a cemetary with many Lithuanians.
Thank you for the information. Do you know a more exact place for the Lithuanian Hall?
Also, by searching the internet about Oglesby now I found this site http://www.oglesby.il.us/newsite/churches/ that tells there was a St. Constantine Lithuanian church there. Do you know anything about it or if the building still exists?
Lithuanian Club Rockford IL
It is already added to the map.
It is already added to the map
Please add the Vytautas Aid Society (Lithuanian Hall) in Grand Rapids, MI. Also, you have misspelled Muskegon (MI) for the Muskegon Lithuanian Club.
Vytautas Aid Society is already on the map – if you cannot see it at the start, please zoom in on Grand Rapids.
I have now corrected the Muskegon name, thanks for notifying about the typo.
There were several picnic groves affiliated with St. Casimir Lithuanian Cemetery (Chicago, IL) and Lithuanian National Cemetery (Justice, IL). These groves were often gathering places (Vytautas Grove) for the faithful after the burial of the loved ones in these cemeteries. These groves were regularly Sunday gathering places for Lithuanians. There were also multi ethnic groves (most notable is Polonia Grove at Archer and Drake in Chicago) for these gatherings of new immigrants and families.
The building of Catholic Marist High School used the land adjacent to St. Casimir Lithuanian Cemetery (Chicago, IL) or took land from the Archdiocese of Chicago Cemetery fund to use for the High School, controversial in its day (1960’s).
http://amberreunion.blogspot.com/2011/12/related-by-marriage-picnic-culture.html
Thank you for the information. Are/were names like “Vytautas Grove” used anywhere officially? From what I see in other posts online it would be the place of Marist High School (i.e. the school was built in the place of Vytautas Grove)?
Yes, Marist high school land used the Grove.
the grove itself is referenced in the following link;
http://amberreunion.blogspot.com/2011/12/related-by-marriage-picnic-culture.html
we lived in Winnipeg for a short time and found
Lithuanian Church of God St Casimir’s Lithuanian Church
located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
constructed in 1953 -1957
unfortunately no longer a Lithuanian church
Thank you, I know of this church. We have not yet visited Winnipeg (also Edmonton, where there is also a Lithuanian chapel) but we hope to do so and add these locations. Even if we won’t visit soon, we would still add them this year after collecting the information on all the sites not added yet.
As of now, we add the locations which are in localities that we have visited (which now means nearly every city of North America where Lithuanian communities existed). Afterward, we would also add the locations in places we haven’t visited, such as Winnipeg or Edmonton, based on available data (although it is possible we would visit these places this year).
In the little town of Wanamie, PA, in Luzerne County near Wilkes-Barre, there is another abandoned Lithuanian cemetery. It is up on a hill behind the town in the woods, and I believe it is know as the old St. Mary’s Cemetery. It is my understanding that no one has been buried there for awhile. My grandparents, John and Antonina Tumosa, who were born in Lithuania, were buried there in 1925.
Thank you very much for this information. Could you tell where exactly it is? Could you zoom onto it on Google Maps and send me the coordinates?
St. Anthony’s Church, the Lithuanian Language School, and the St. Anthony’s Rectory in Omaha, NE. All are now defunct, but the buildings still exist and are being used. The Google Map coordinates for the Church are 41.20321874299641, -95.96139029241661. The school is in the same block immediately to the South of the Church and the Rectory is directly behind the Church to the West.
The map project is very impressive! Thank you.
Disregard! I apologize, but when I zoomed in on the larger US map I only saw the Lithuanian Bakery and the Mural. I then found the regional maps and you have it correctly notated there. Sorry!!!
My grandparents, named Biknevicus, immigrated to Scranton PA in about 1900. He came first and worked for 2 years to have enough money to bring his wife and first child to America.
John and eventually two sons worked in the Leggit anthracite mine. I believe they lived on Wells Street with immigrant families from several countries. John died with black lung when my mother was 11.
As a native of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. I am aware of a few more sites in the area that may be of interest for your project:
1. A former Lithuanian National Catholic Church in Wilkes-Barre. (My grandmother helped establish the church there.)
2. A Lithuanian cemetery in West Wyoming, Pennsylvania, which is a small town near Wilkes-Barre. (My parents and maternal grandparents are buried there.)
I can provide additional information at your request.
I wrote you an e-mail with questions about the exact locations. The Lithuanian Cemetery in West Wyoming is probably th eone marked as Independent cemetery though, or another one?
In the 1970s, a Lithuanian named Vic Belecskas (sp?) cut some sort of a deal with a property developer in Florida. In exchange, Vic enticed a sizeable number of Lithuanians from the East Coast and Chicago to retire in the development, called “Sunny Hills” in the Florida Panhandle. This development was inland from Panama City FL, on the highway to Chipley FL.
The Lithuanian families in Sunny Hills built a Catholic church that had services in Lithuanian. A Catholic cemetery was opened there as well (Calvary Cemetery), where many of the Lithuanian residents were buried, including my parents.
I have not been back to Sunny Hills since my mother’s funeral in 1998, so I don’t know the status of that church or cemetery.
Thank you for the information. I wonder if particularly Lithuanian sites such as Lithuanian streetnames, Lithuanian memorials exist there? As I understand, both the cemetery and the church were jointly used with other communities. Is there anything Lithuanian inside the church decor?
Here is a sad but interesting update on St Mary of Vilna in Archbald PA: https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/news/eynon-church-demolished-109-year-old-time-capsule-with-letter-photo-found/article_d7191d4c-1a5d-54bf-8b18-a3ab3bf93e40.html. It has been demolished, but they found a time capsule in the cornerstone which included a letter and a photo. Link include photos. They are looking for a translator.
Thank you for the sad information about the Eynon church demolition, I have shared it and edited the map accordingly.
Do you know the text that needs translation and who does it (if you are connected to this)?