About OBHS

In the early 1950s, John L. Clayton, Walter H. Dawkins, and Thomas F. Carroll purchased the property known as Old Bohemia, in an effort to save St. Francis Xavier church which had fallen into disrepair. Clayton, Dawkins, and Carroll formed the Old Bohemia Historical Society, Inc., with a mission to restore and preserve the property, and ensure it is maintained for future generations.

Since then, hundreds of volunteers, many of whom attended Mass at St. Francis Xavier with their families over the years, have devoted countless hours to preserving the church, farmhouse, museum, and barns. Volunteers also care for the holly trees, legacy boxwood, and the acres of surrounding farmland.

In 1975, volunteers submitted a successful application to the National Park Service and St. Francis Xavier Shrine was added to the National Register of Historic Places, an official list of U.S. historic buildings and sites worthy of preservation. To learn more, see Library of Congress.