West Side Dom Polski facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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West Side Dom Polski
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| Location | 3426 Junction Street Detroit, Michigan |
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| Built | 1916 |
| Architect | Joseph Julius Gwizdowski |
| NRHP reference No. | 06001332 |
| Added to NRHP | February 1, 2007 |
The West Side Dom Polski is a special building located at 3426 Junction Street in Detroit, Michigan. It was once a meeting hall and social club for Polish people living in the area. This important building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. Today, it is known as the Metro Life International Church.
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History of the West Side Dom Polski
In the 1870s, many families from Poland started to move to the west side of Detroit. As more and more Polish immigrants arrived, they built several churches. These included St. Casimir (in 1882), St. Francis of Assisi (in 1889), and St. Hedwig (in 1903).
What is a Dom Polski?
Just like in other Polish-American neighborhoods, people wanted a special place to meet and gather. They called this place a Dom Polski, which means "Polish home" in English. It was a community center where people could socialize and celebrate their culture.
Building the Polish Home
Two Polish social groups, the St. Isadore Society and the St. Cecila Society, started planning the West Side Dom Polski in 1913. They bought land for the building. They hired an architect named Joseph Julius Gwizdowski to design the new "Polish home."
The first stone for the building was placed on July 5, 1917. However, building the Dom Polski was expensive. The construction faced money problems, and it took a long time to finish. The building was finally completed in 1925.
The Building Today
Over time, many Polish families moved out of the west side neighborhood. Because of this, some of the Polish churches closed, and the Dom Polski was sold.
Recently, the building has been used by the Metro Life International Church. It also housed a business called Scotty's Food and Cookies for a while.
In 2008, the building was put up for sale. It was described as having a very large space, including a big room for events that could fit 400 people. It also had a bar area, a dance studio, and a kitchen in the basement. The building was still for sale in 2016.
