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The three story building at 510-12 S. Broadway, with a double front entrance flanked by stores, serves the purpose of community center for people of Polish origin. There they meet to celebrate national anniversaries, hold dances and banquets. It is the home of most societies, clubs and committees. On the ground floor is the lounge called Polska Wioska (a Polish Village), serving refreshments and providing an atmosphere for social meetings of friends and guests. Alongside is a well equipped kitchen with a dining hall for special festivities. Its main hall is on the second floor. The Dom Polski did not come into being until many years of constant efforts on part of a group of individuals from among the early Polish Settlers in Baltimore. In 1906, the Polish Home Association was organized with the late Wladyslaw Urbanski as its president. The Association depended on voluntary gifts. After two years of solicitation only $1,560.00 was collected. Then it was decided to incorporate a stock company and sell stock at $10.00 a share. By 1916 the amount on hand was $26,360.00 and the buildings were purchased and were practically rebuilt. At the time young men were being drafted. Volunteers were being called for the Polish Army. The cost of Polish Home when completed was $81,000.00. The difference between the amount on hand and the cost had to be supplied by mortgage. After twelve years the Dom Polski was opened for public use on Sunday, August 11, 1918. With a huge mortgage debt and income hardly sufficient to meet the maintenance cost and interest payments, the investment value of its stock disappeared and The Dom Polski faced a crisis. To appeal for donations seemed hardly consistent with the fact that Dom Polski was a private property owed by a Stock Co. In September 1927, the directors and stockholders of the Polish Home Association decided to donate the stock and transfer the building for use of the Polish Community. The Trustees of Polski Dom Incorporated and a group of business and professional men with Adam S. Gerorius. They refinanced the existing mortgage and guaranteed its payments, each limiting his liability to $1,000.00. With additional borrowed money, the improvements were made and liberal policy adopted for use of the facilities. The venture might have proved successful had it not been for the depression in 1929. Unemployment was high, income from rents and donations fell off and a new crisis was approaching. An energetic group of young men with John DeBald at their head, organized The Polish Home Club. On the 12th day of February, 1933, the Club was incorporated. That effort might have saved the Polish Home where it not for the failure and receivership of one of two building associations which held the mortgages. It became urgently necessary to refinance the mortgage but with real estate values down and lenders extremely cautious, that proved impossible. The Dom Polski was sold at a foreclosure sale November 1, 1934 to the Kosciuszko Permanent Savings and Loan Association, the other of the two building associations which held the mortgage. The Directors of The Kosciuszko Permanent Savings and Loan Association under the leadership of George W. Siwinski, realized that they had an obligation to the Polish Community. They therefore offered the Polish Home Club an opportunity to purchase the Polish Home, but the club was required to run the property efficiently. Those conditions were accepted by President Dr. Theodore Zamecki and its counsel Adam Bartosz. On April 15, 1935, the Club took title to the home for the sum of one hundred dollars plus a mortgage of over thirty thousand dollars. As a further evidence of the Association's good will the Club was able to borrow seven thousand dollars more in November of the same year for improvements. Our interest is in development of social and cultural activities, there-by creating the better type of citizen who would strive to cherish and praise their adopted country of this great United States of America. Give moral and financial aid to its needy in the country and forefathers in Poland.
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