History

The building was erected in 1909-1910 on the property belonging to the “Psiarnia” grange in the 19th century, located at the very edge of the district at Bazarowy Square (now Wolności Square), at the intersection of the ten Hipoteczna Street (now Słowackiego Street) and Prosta Street. In 1908, Władysław Huet and his wife Helena bought that corner plot of land, and a year later they obtained a building permit for the construction of a front house and an outbuilding. In 1910, they were granted a government loan for construction purposes. Władysław Huet, born in Podole, graduate from the Munich’s Academy of Fine Arts, was a drawing teacher at schools in Kielce, among others, at the Śniadecki junior high school, for almost twenty years.

Many years later, Fr. Jacek Pycia recalled the emotions that were aroused by the construction of the villa among contemporary people because of the used solutions that were deviating from the standard ones: “The servants of Zytka carry the message that a chapel is erected for Mariavites — a crowd of people are coming to see the house”. In fact, a building was constructed with a very modern interior, with façades lavishly decorated with classical motifs (mostly plaster casts), although some components, for example the form of windows, attic oculi, free treatment of classical elements, show modernist influences. The building had very neatly finished interiors decorated with stuccowork, original window and door joinery. Initially, in addition to the owner’s flat, the villa housed a tenant flat. In 1909, part of the property was occupied by the extension to Prosta Street. Władysław Huet, a well-known and popular teacher, who contributed enormously to the development of Kielce’s scouting, lived there until his death in 1923 (dies as a victim to a typhus epidemic). For years, the villa which was used as allocated flats after World War 2, but was not repaired and renovated, was in poor condition. Between 2011 and 2013, the structure underwent complete renovation, adaptation and extension for use as a hotel, which involved a substantial interference with the structure of the monument, especially the interior layout. The body and décor of the façades have survived almost unchanged. The relief in the front tympanum and a tall outbuilding located in the back section of the yard, which originally housed servants’ flats, visible in the old photographs have not survived.

Description

The villa is located on the outskirts of the centre of Kielce, on the eastern frontage of Słowackiego Street, at the intersection with Prosta Street. It is a free-standing front-gabled structure set slightly further back from the building line. It was built of brick, on a floor plan resembling the shape of a square, with three interior bays. The centre of its body is made up of three storeys covered with a gable roof, the sides of which are framed by multi-storey parts resembling avant-corps on the front, with terraces instead of the roof. The space between avant-corps was fitted with an additional terrace on the ground floor and balcony on the upper storey. The symmetrical façades are set on a plinth course and articulated by rectangular windows fitted with profiled surrounds. The corners are adorned with pairs of Corinthian pilasters in giant order, supporting the Ionic entablature. An ornamental frieze (palmette frieze in the lower part and frieze of vines in the upper part) runs between the storeys and in the upper part of the first floor. The interiors were adapted for hotel purposes. Visitor access: Limited access to the monument. The building is currently used as a hotel.

Limited access to the monument. The building is currently used as a hotel.

compield by Anna Adamczyk, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Kielce, 15-12-2014.

Bibliography

• Source: National Archives in Kielce, Kielce Governorate Government, ref. no. 16170; ibid., ref. no. 9008. “Gazeta Kielecka” 1909, no. 68, p. 2.
• Adamczyk A., Adaptacje i remonty kieleckich zabytków architektonicznych, “Renowacje i Zabytki”, no. 4, 2012, p. 61.
• Adamczyk A., Modras J., Polanowski L., Prace przy zabytkach architektury sakralnej i zabudowie miejskiej, [in:] Cedro J. (ed.), Prace konserwatorskie w woj. świętokrzyskim w latach 2001-2012, Kielce 2014, pp. 82-83
• Adamczyk A., Nowa dzielnica-inwestycja miasta gubernialnego. Studium historyczno- urbanistyczne Kielc, vol. 2, part 3, PP PKZ O/Kielce 1991, p. 93, typescript, Archives of the Regional Office for the Protection of Historical Monuments in Kielce.
• Jerzmanowski J., W starych Kielcach, Kraków 1975, p. 233.
• Pycia J. ks., Nad Silnicą, Kielce 1938, p. 273.
• Różalski J., Architektura rezydencjonalna w Kielcach. Przykłady z pierwszych dziesięcioleci XX wieku, [in:]
• Szczepański J., Architekci i budowniczowie. Materiały, Warsaw-Cracow 1990, pp. 64-65.