History

From the 19th century until the mid-20th century, the village of Teodozjów played a significant role as a large oil production centre in the area. The history of the centre begins at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, when Marcin Szuman purchased a 60-morgen farm in Teodozjów and built an oil mill and a windmill there. He later divided the farm between his sons. In 1945, the land and the oil mill were taken over by the State Land Fund. By decision of the Fund, the estate was transferred to Władysław Brylski from Helenów in the District of Rawa. The oil mill functioned until 1955, when a fire destroyed the shed and the equipment was bought by Stanisław Chwaliński.

The present-day oil mill in Teodozjów was built around 1878 by Ignacy Kucharski, who used Szuman’s oil mill as a model, after having researched construction-related details. Kucharski did most of the work on his own. Jan Karwat, a carpenter, helped him with the more difficult work.

After ten years, the oil mill was extended to include an additional room for a carding machine - a combing wool machine. The carding machine was also connected, by means of an additional transmission device, to the horse engine, which had previously been only used for powering the rolls. Around 1893, the so-called kaszorek – a buckwheat grinder, constructed by I. Kucharski, was connected to the same horse engine. However, the capacity of the horse engine was found to be insufficient for powering three devices. In 1897, I. Kucharski set about replacing the horse powered machines in his oil plant with wind-powered ones. He was planning to install an air turbine set on four poles above the roof of the oil mill. Despite successful test operation of the turbine when it was placed on the ground, Kucharski failed to find a method of connecting the turbine with the oil plant equipment and the project was abandoned. Since 1922, the oil mills were run by Ignacy’s son, Antoni Kucharski. In 1930, the buckwheat grinder was removed from the mill, because the processing of buckwheat proved to be troublesome and unprofitable.

The oil mill was open twice a year, because oil was produced during Lent and Advent. The largest increase in the production of oil occurred after the First World War and in the years 1937-1939. Today, the oil mill is closed.

Description

The oil mill is situated at the eastern end of the village of Teodozjów, next to the road from Czerniewice through Studzianki, Teodozjów to Stanisławów Studziński, 4 km south-east of Czerniewice, on the expressway S8 from Warsaw to Wrocław.

It is a wooden, rectangular building with a frame structure, weatherboarded with planks from outside. The oil mill consists of two parts, the one built in 1878 and the one attached from the east in 1887, which housed the carding machine. Both parts of the building share a thatched gable roof, but are not connected inside. Each part can be entered from outside through a separate door in the southern wall. The wall is supported by three slanting poles. In the eastern gable wall, there is a small window with six panes. In the western one, there is an opening covered with a wooden shutter. In the gable wall, there is a little glazed window.

The present-day oil mill in Teodozjów was built around 1878 by Ignacy Kucharski, who used Szuman’s oil mill as a model, after having researched construction-related details. Kucharski did most of the work on his own. Jan Karwat, a carpenter, helped him with the more difficult work.

Inside the building, the oil mill part contains the following equipment:

• Wooden horse engine
• Oil press with a hammer
• Basin with a cauldron
• Grinder or rollers
• Gutter connecting the attic with the ground floor
• Transmission shaft of the carding machine

The roof has recently collapsed inwards and the western wall is in a bad state of repair.

Private property. The building can be viewed from outside.

Compiled by Aleksandra Preczyńska, student of the University of Łódź, field of study: history of art 16 August 2019

Bibliography

• Lech Józef, Olejarnia w Teodozjowie, Łódzkie Studia Etnograficzne, vol. III, Łódź 1961, pp. 104-117.
• Record sheet of Historic Monuments of Architecture and Construction, compiled by Ewa Gwóźdź, compilation from 16 August 1988 and May 1994.