1900 inside the church), accompanied by a collection of old headstones located in the church cemetery, presenting both historical and artistic value. One of the numerous ecclesiastical complexes funded by the Kuczyński family, whose history is tied to the Podlasie region and who have made numerous valuable contribution towards its development.

History

The local parish was originally established in 1419; at the time, it was based at a wooden church of St Andrew the Apostle, St Lawrence, St Mary Magdalene and St Elisabeth, erected for the funds provided by the erstwhile owners of the village - the brothers Wawrzyniec, Florian, Jakub, Stanisław and Marcin from Gąsiorowo, bearers of the Ślepowron coat of arms and ancestors of the Kuczyński family. The building was later replaced by another wooden church, which was then lost to the blaze in 1657; in 1677, yet another wooden church was erected in its place, consecrated in 1685. The next church to be erected on the site came into being in the years 1792-1793, with the funds for its construction provided by Anna Kuczyńska-Zaleska, the wife of the chamberlain (podkomorzy) of Nur. The building, known as the church of the Holy Name of Jesus and St Magdalene, was lost to the blaze in 1885. The existing church, erected in the years 1888-1893 on the basis of the design produced by Jan Hinz, was constructed at the initiative of Ludwika Ostrowska née Kuczyńska, with the funds being provided by her mother, Joanna Kuczyńska née Wulfers. The brick fence and the morgue were most likely erected during the same period, while the rectory was added in 1896.

Description

The complex is situated in the northern part of the village, opposite the cemetery, near the junction of the roads leading towards Ciechanowiec, Wysokie Mazowieckie and Malinowo. The church, the fence and the morgue are all designed in the Gothic Revival style, while the rectory building does not possess any features indicative of any specific stylistic influences inherent in its design. The surface area of the complex is about 0.9 hectares in total.

The chancel of the church faces the north-east. The complex is surrounded by a brick perimeter fence designed on a roughly rectangular plan, with the southern section of the fence being rounded in shape. The gate leading towards the church is positioned on the axis of the main entrance thereof. The morgue forms part of the north-eastern section of the fence. A number of historic headstones inscribed into the register of monuments can be admired in the cemetery surrounding the church. In addition, there are also a few epitaph plaques, embedded in the openwork brick structure of the perimeter fence. The rectory and the accompanying utility buildings is located south of the church. The church, the morgue and the fence are all made of exposed red brick; the two-storey rectory and its single-storey annex are likewise made of brick, although their walls feature a plaster finish.

The site is open to visitors.

compiled by Aneta Kułak, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Białystok, 09-10-2014.

Bibliography

• Katalog Zabytków Sztuki w Polsce, vol. IX: Województwo łomżyńskie, issue 2: Ciechanowiec, Zambrów, Wysokie Mazowieckie i okolice, compiled by Kałamajska-Saeed Maria, Warsaw 1986, pp. 47-50, 44, 45, 112, 123, 124, 126.