Situated between a courtyard and a garden, it is the central point of an impressive axial complex arranged so as to harmonise with a church that used to exist nearby.

History

In the 13th and 14th centuries, the village of Srebrna Góra was owned by the Górka family of the Łodzia coat of arms. In the 15th century, Srebrna Góra had municipal rights; in 1458, it had the obligation to provide one foot soldier for the Malbork Campaign of 1458. In 1552, following the death of the last member of the Górka family — Stanisław, voivode of Poznań — the estate was inherited by the Czarnkowski family. In the 2nd half of the 17th century, the estate of Srebrna Góra belonged to Andrzej Smuszewski, starosta (head) of Bobrowniki. In 1770, the village was owned by the Czarliński, and subsequently — Anna Bojanowski née Skrzetuski. At the end of the 18th century, the owner was Józef Radzimiński, voivode of Gniezno. In the early 20th century, Srebrna Góra was handed over to the Moszczeński family as the dowry of Marianna Radzimińska. In 1925, the manor house, dilapidated and falling into decline, was purchased by an architect from Poznań, Stanisław Mieczkowski. The owners of Srebrna Góra already had their residence in the village in the 15th century, however, it was gradually falling into ruin. In the late 18th century, the new owner, Józef Radzimiński, commenced the construction of an impressive new manor house complex. The previous manor house was dismantled; only some parts of the basement were left (currently the southern part of the basement). The grand new residence was completed in c. 1792. It was a one-storeyed building with an attic. An elegant brick multisectional gate, built in 1799, leads to a vast courtyard in front of the manor house. In c. 1800, a residential outbuilding and a granary were constructed. They are located symmetrically on both sides of the courtyard. A large landscape park was established behind the residence, on its west side. In c. 1930, the new owner — Stanisław Mieczkowski — renovated the manor house. The basement was modified and converted into flats for the gardener and servants. The courtyard was rearranged: pergolas were installed, retaining walls were reinforced and renovated, and a new fence, made up of balusters, was constructed. Stanisław Mieczkowski also redesigned the park. He set up fish ponds, an orchard, and a tree nursery. In 1945, the manor house complex was taken over by the State Treasury. In the years 1968-1974, renovation and conservation works were carried out in the manor house, the residential outbuilding, and the granary. The renovated manor house complex became a training centre of the Voivodeship Municipal Services and Housing Management Association in Wągrowiec, and then of the Voivodeship Office in Piła. In 1981, a National Social Welfare Home was established there.

Description

The manor house complex in Srebrna Góra is located in the central part of the village. On the east side, it borders the Parish Church Complex of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is situated on a small rectangular hill with the courtyard in the centre. The manor house is situated on its west side; the residential outbuilding and the granary are situated on its north and south sides. On the east side is the entrance gate. The courtyard is enclosed with retaining walls and a balustrade from c. 1925. The manor house, the residential outbuilding, and the granary are situated on the hill slopes; due to the differences in the ground level, they are one-storeyed on the courtyard side and two-storeyed in the rear part. To the west and south-west stretches the landscape park with a pond and groups of old trees. The manor house faces the east. It is a one-storeyed building with a basement, having a rectangular floor plan. The building owes its grandeur and lordly character to the portico decorating the front façade: high columns support a tympanum concealing the wall at the roof level. The west façade features a short avant-corps. The building is topped with a very high roof. The manor house has a two-bay layout; the suite of rooms on the garden side forms an enfilade. On the central axis, there is a large elegant hall and a drawing room.The residential outbuilding and the granary, intended as compositional components of the manor house and park complex from the very beginning, emphasise its axial character. The outbuilding is situated on the south side of the courtyard; along with the granary located opposite, it forms an architectural frame for the palace. The elegant front façade of the outbuilding, also featuring a portico on the central axis, is similar in character to the manor house. The front part of the building has one storey. The north façade, facing the garden, is decorated with a pseudo-avant-corps, just like the garden façade of the manor house. The whole building is covered with a steep roof having a relatively large surface. The granary also has one storey in the front part; the front façade, resembling that of the residential outbuilding, also has a colonnaded portico. The other façades have a regular axial design, with decorative elements at the corners, string courses and crowning cornices, and window surrounds with keystones at the top. An important element of the axial arrangement of the complex is the monumental gate located opposite the manor house. The entrance gate was built in 1799, when the owner of the estate was Józef Radzimiński. The event is commemorated with the date “1799” displayed on the gate frieze, decorated with triglyphs. The initials of the owner, “J.R.”, also used to be displayed on a well-visible spot on the gate, however, they have not survived to this day. The gate was given a classical character, in accordance with the contemporary trends, with clearly noticeable provincial traditions of the Late Baroque (especially in the top part of the central section).

The park is open to the public. The residential outbuilding and the granary currently house a social welfare home.

compiled by Beata Marzęta, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Poznan, 24-11-2015.

Bibliography

• Katalog Zabytków Sztuki w Polsce, t. V: Województwo poznańskie, z. 27, Powiat wągrowiecki, Warszawa 1964, s.25-27
• Libicki M., Libicki P., Dwory i pałace wiejskie w Wielkopolsce, Poznań 2003, s. 357.
• Łęcki W., Województwo pilskie, Warszawa-Poznań 1988, s.297-298
• Wiśniewska K., Dom Pomocy Społecznej w Srebrnej Górze, Kronika Wielkopolski, nr 2(146), Rok 2013, Poznań 2013, s. 151-156