History of the site

The oldest reference to the hamlet of Crzicawa goes back to 1416. It says that the forest beyond Krzykawka belongs to the bishop of Kraków. In the 16th century, the village was part of the Bolesław estate and was owned by Mikołaj Grabka and then Marcjan Chełmski, of the Ostoja coat of arms, and his descendants until the second half of the 17th century. In the 18th century, the property belonged to Jan Romiszewski and his brother Franciszek. After Franciszek’s death in 1756, the property was divided. The first mention of a manor house comes from that period. “A manor house with annexes, grange, stables, fenced runs, brewery, yard, barns, granary...” The manor house was built in 1724, as evidenced by the inscription on the main ceiling beam, exposed in 1979. In 1818 the owner, Józef Chodorowicz, commissioned an inventory of the Krzykawa estate. “...You enter the manor house through an entrance hall with studded double door with a lock, key, and handle... To the left from hall, there is a rooms with three windows and two whole quarters. The chimney and a stove are made of brick...from this room, you can enter another room with two windows in new double quarters. From this room, you can enter a smaller room with one good window, a stove and fireplace... In walls of these rooms behind the doors are sealed; a French lock in the fifth door... From the small room, you can enter a small vestibule through a simple, studded door; there, there are stairs leading up... From the vestibule, you can enter another hall a double, sealed and studded door... In the hall, opposite the rooms mentioned before, there is an empty, windowless chamber; it adjoins a pantry hidden behind a simple door. The hall has a brick cupboard and a storage compartment. The chimney above the roof covered with shingles...the roof is completely ruined: its supports and covering need replacement...” The manor was in the hands of Chodorowicz’s descendants until the early of the 20th century. In 1905, after parcelling, the manor house and the remainder of the estate went into the hands of the Gaszyńskis. With a short break during WW2, the estate was held by Gaszyńskis’ heirs, the Boguckis, until 1950, when it was taken over by the state. For many years, the manor house was used as an administrative building for the farm and a production cooperative, etc. The complex was slowly falling into ruin. In the 1980s, on the initiative of the Commune Office in Bolesław, the building was reconstructed in its brick form and accommodated a culture centre and a library. In the 1990s, the manor house was thoroughly renovated and has remained the property of Bolesław Commune. It is used by the Commune Culture Centre and the Commune Library.

Site description

The manor house in Krzykawka stands in the centre of the village, in its north-west part, surrounded by a park. The remains of the grange buildings are scattered across the neighbouring plots east of the house. The manor house in Krzykawka is an example of the so-called Polish manor. It was built on a rectangular plan, originally in the wooden log technology. In the 1980s, it was reconstructed as a brick and plastered one-storey building. It is covered by a “Polish” multi-pitched, shingled roof. Located centrally in the front façade, the entrance is preceded by a standard porch resting on four columns. The interior has a two-bay layout and contains four rooms separated by a hallway. The building is a valuable example of a landed gentry residence. Its design features all traditional elements characteristic of old Polish countryside mansions, which is discernible in its proportional shape and modest detail.

The site is open to visitors.

Author of the note Tomasz Woźniak, Regional Branch of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage in Kraków 14/11/2015

Bibliography

• Krasnowolski B., Leksykon zabytków architektury Małopolski, Warszawa 2013
• Libicki P., Dwory i pałace wiejskie w Małopolsce i na Podkarpaciu, Poznań 2012
• Liszka J., Staropolski dworek w Krzykawce, “Bolesławskie Zeszyty Historyczne” 2008, no. 32,
• Raińska M., Dwory Małopolski, historia i współczesność, vol. 1, Nowy Sącz 2014.
• Sypień J., Dwory szlacheckie ziemi olkuskiej, Olkusz 2013