Architectural heritage is an important link connecting Lithuanians of different generations of emigration with Lithuania within a shared historical narrative. Since the second half of the nineteenth century, Lithuanian communities in North America have created a distinctive architectural legacy, including religious, public, cultural, and other sites reflecting community life. Over time, as building ownership and patterns of use have often changed, this heritage has become increasingly vulnerable to deterioration and loss. Its inventory and value assessment therefore constitute an important task for Lithuanian heritage protection, to which the results of this project will contribute.
Project funding:
Research Council of Lithuania, Programme for the implementation of the priority of Lithuanian studies in 2025–2030
Project results:
The project will compile a catalogue of architectural heritage sites of significance to Lithuania in the United States and Canada, based on archival sources and, in the case of the most significant sites, on-site research. It will also develop a methodological model for assessing cultural value, enabling the systematic classification of this heritage. The project results will provide a scholarly foundation for the further study, preservation, and dissemination of Lithuanian architectural heritage abroad, while the methodology developed may also be applied to Lithuanian heritage in other regions of the world.
Period of project implementation: 2026-09-01 - 2028-08-31
Project coordinator: Kaunas University of Technology
