Larch Manor from the 19th Century

Larch Manor at ulica Narutowicza 20 is a wooden, neoclassical manor house, also known as the Chlewicki Manor. Today it houses the headquarters of the Society of Friends of Kutno Land.

The disputed age of the manor

The first written mention of the building dates from 1841, when it belonged to Feliks Mniewski, heir to Kutno, who sold it to Jan Kanecki and his wife Krystyna Julianna. The exact year the manor itself was built is unclear: some specialists point to the mid-19th century, others to the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries, with rebuilding after a fire in the mid-19th century. Both versions appear in publications on the building, without resolution as to which is closer to the truth.

The Chlewicki family

From around 1890, the owner of the manor was Zygmunt Józef Antoni Chlewicki, an insurance appraiser, from whom the popular name Chlewicki Manor derives. The family owned the building until 1948, when Maria Ostrowska purchased it.

From private estate to society headquarters

The manor was entered into the register of monuments on 11 July 1967, under number 16. Between 1981 and 1990, a gallery and workshop of folk sculptors operated in it. On 16 June 1987, the building was taken over by the Kutno City Office, and on 24 August 1987 it was handed over to the Society of Friends of Kutno Land, which had already had its headquarters here since May 1982.

Architecture

The manor was built from larch wood. It is single-storey, clad with boards, three-axis, with a hipped roof and a porch supported by columns in the Doric style. The form of the building echoes an old Polish gentry residence.

Revitalisation in 2012

In 2012, thanks to European Union funds and support from the Kutno City Office under the Regional Operational Programme of Łódź Voivodeship, the manor underwent renovation that restored its former appearance. The work took into account the function of an art and craft gallery and headquarters of cultural associations, as well as the needs of people with disabilities.

In the vicinity

The manor is located several hundred metres from the market square in Kutno, the main public square of the city.

Nearby also stands the neoclassical Town Mayor's House.

In the same area, by the square, the fountain in the market square operates seasonally.

Practical information

• Address: Narutowicza 20, Kutno
• Access: on foot from the city centre, near the market square and old town
• Manager: Society of Friends of Kutno Land
• What to expect: a wooden manor with a columned porch, following renovation that restored its historic appearance