074-5021 Church of the Sacred Heart Parish

For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF

VLR Listing Date 12/15/2011

NRHP Listing Date 02/08/2012

NRHP Reference Number 12000020

The Church of the Sacred Heart Parish located in Prince George County, is the solitary remaining landmark of New Bohemia, a community first settled in 1887 by Czech immigrants who were mostly farmers. Using European methods of fertilization and crop rotation, they restored devastated farmlands after the Civil War. The old Parish Hall and adjacent cemetery date from 1906-08 and are associated with the earliest church on the site, constructed in 1906, soon after land was deeded to the Diocese of Richmond. Serving as the center of the Czech community, the church complex offered a meeting place and social hall for celebrating Czech music, dances, and heritage. Worship services there were conducted in the Czech language until the mid-20th century. Today’s church was completed in 1951. Most of the homes, farms, and other structures of New Bohemia were destroyed by highway construction and developments around the community during the latter 20th century.

Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.

Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark

Updated: November 4, 2021