History

The first wooden fortress in Siemkowice was situated on the marshy meadows near the manor house complex.

The brick building in the present-day location was founded by the Siemkowski family. It was built in the middle of the 15th century. It had the form of a rectangular stone structure (tower) with two storeys. Only two external walls and one chamber from that structure have survived to this day. In the second half of the 16th century, another storey was added. The enlarged manor house contained 7 or 8 large rooms. At the end of the 17th century, the easter corner was transformed into a corner extension. In the 19th century, the second storey was removed after it had been damaged by a fire and the corner extension was heightened. After another fire in 1953, the manor house was rebuilt and the corner extension was reconstructed as a one-storey structure.

The manor house then became the property of the Święcicki family. The next owners were the Karśnicki family, in whose hands the village remained until 1945.

Description

The manor house is situated in the western part of the village. It is surrounded by a manor park, which is partly covered by wetlands. The building was erected on a small artificial island separated from the mainland by a moat. There is a wooden bridge leading to the manor house.

​​​​​​​It was built in several stages and contains preserved Renaissance and Baroque elements.

​​​​​​​The manor house follows a square-like floor plan. In the north-eastern corner of the square, a corner extension was built, also on a quadrilateral floor plan. It has one storey and is partly cellared. It has a four-hipped roof. The corner extension has a separate tent-shaped roof.

​​​​​​​The materials used in the construction of the manor house include stones (in the remnants of the original building) and bricks. The walls in the brick part were plastered on both sides. The cellars are barrel vaulted, whereas the rooms of the manor house are covered with reinforced concrete ceilings. The roof has a wooden truss.

​​​​​​​The main entrance to the building is situated in the southern elevation. It has three axes. The door opening is positioned on the extreme axis on the right. It is accented by a modest flat portal with a triangular top. The remaining axes are accented by the window openings. In all the elevations, the window openings are decorated with Renaissance stone window surrounds.

The protruding structure of the corner extension is the northernmost part of the eastern elevation. It also dominates the northern elevation together with its stone, unplastered western part. A part of the western elevation is made of stone too.

A preserved stone portal in one of the door openings connecting two rooms.

The building can only be viewed from outside.

Compiled by Anna Michalska, Regional Branch of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage in Łódź 6 June 2017

Bibliography

• Katalog Zabytków Sztuki w Polsce, woj. łódzkie, Warszawa 1954, vol. II
• Kajzer L., Augustyniak J., Wstęp do studiów nad świeckim budownictwem obronnym sieradzkiego w XIII- XVII/XVIII wieku, Łódź 1986
• Kajzer L., Zamki i dwory obronne w Polsce centralnej, Warszawa 2004