History

The parish in Borów was established before 1465 owing to the efforts made in this regard by Marcin of Odoń. The existing church, believed to have been constructed in 1662, was not the first church to have stood on this spot. It underwent a few series of renovation works during its lifetime, the most notable having taken place in 1781 and about 1800, when the porches were added; further works were carried out in 1843, while a thorough restoration took place in the years 1955-1957, when the western porch and the sacristy were both extended, with weatherboards inside and out as well as parts of the roof truss being replaced.

Description

The church is located in the east section of the village, about 300 metres towards the west from the road leading towards Annopol. It is the oldest among all the churches forming part of the so-called “Kraśnik group” - a group of wooden churches whose defining feature is the absence of a tower in the front façade. The church is oriented towards the east; it was designed on a floor plan consisting of a rectangular, single-nave main body and a narrower chancel with a semi-hexagonal termination, its height being identical to that of the nave; a sacristy adjoins the chancel to the north, while the nave is abutted by a large, impressive porch to the west and a smaller porch to the south, the latter being positioned alongside the entrance to the nave. The church is a wooden structure made of larch logs (corner-notched structure reinforced with vertical supports) and clad with weatherboards. The wooden roof truss features a queen post structure above the nave and a double-suspension trusswork above the chancel. Both the main body and the chancel feature a gable roof with a common roof ridge with a steeple on top. The porches also feature gable roofs, with the sacristy being covered by a two-pitched roof. All roof surfaces are clad with sheet metal. The nave and the chancel feature faux vaulting, with the vault inside the nave featuring encased upper logs of the chancel side walls running along the entire length of the nave, supported by a pair of octagonal pillars. A lavishly decorated rood beam can be admired between the nave and the chancel. A broad pipe organ gallery with a straight parapet is located in the western section of the church. The walls are partitioned by pilasters supporting a profiled cornice. All facade are covered with board and batten siding; the sill plate is clad with horizontally positioned weatherboards and covered by a skirt roof which protects it against the elements. The gables are clad with vertically positioned, end-jointed weatherboards. The southern porch gable features weatherboards arranged to form the motif of the rising sun. The window openings are rectangular in shape, framed with wooden window surrounds, with the windows themselves consisting of two lights with sixteen panes each; the chancel features a circular rose window. The church features both single and double doors of the planked type. Notable interior fixtures include Rococo altarpieces and pulpit dating back to the second half of the 18th century.

The site is open to visitors.

compiled by Bożena Stanek-Lebioda, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Lublin, 18-12-2014.

Bibliography

• Górak J., Typy i formy drewnianej architektury sakralnej Lubelszczyzny, „Kwartalnik Architektury i Urbanistyki”, 1987, nr 3-4, s. 240-242.
• Katalog Zabytków Sztuki w Polsce, t. VIII: Województwo lubelskie , z. 9: Powiat kraśnicki, oprac. Galicka I., Rowińska E., Warszawa 1961, s. 3-4.