The Polish Center, founded in 1998, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational resource center and ethnographic museum bringing to life the history of a culture seldom examined in textbooks or the media. Its galleries and exhibits depict the Polish immigrants’ journey to America, their creation of businesses and tightly-knit communities, their folk art, traditional dress, military history and much more. A full-sized country cottage from the early 20th century, completely and authentically furnished with objects acquired in Poland, gives visitors a glimpse into the life many emigrants were leaving behind. The Center also functions as a research facility, attracting national and international scholars, educators and students seeking information about the history of the Polish people in the United States and their contributions to the arts, sciences and economy of their newly adopted country
HISTORY
The story of the Polish Center for Discovery and Learning begins with two visionary people who worked at Elms College, a small but innovative school in Chicopee, MA. Sr. Kathleen Keating, SSJ was president of the college in the late 1990s, while Stanislaw Ryszard (“Stas”) Radosz was an adjunct professor teaching “Introduction to the Polish People” along with classes on Polish language, history and culture. A scholar, he had served for over three decades as Slavic Bibliographer and Coordinator for Collection Development at UMass, Amherst. His vision was to someday establish a center to celebrate the contributions of the Polish people to the economy, arts and sciences of New England, but he had not amassed any support for realizing his ambition.
When a freak snowstorm in March of 1998 did not deter over 700 people from attending the premiere of a documentary film about Irish immigrants who had settled in the area, Sr. Kathleen realized what a great need people had to learn about their own cultures. She decided to form an Irish cultural center at Elms, housed in the old library. Stas Radosz, upon learning about this initiative, convinced Sr. Kathleen to make an identical space available to him to similarly highlight Polish culture.
On February 11, 1999, the Polish Center of Discovery and Learning was recognized and approved by Sr Keating and Dr. John Freed, Academic Dean. On June 3, 2000, after the completion of renovations, an official opening and ribbon-cutting celebration was held. Chicopee Mayor Richard Kos declared June 3, 2000 “Polish Center of Discovery and Learning Day.” Elms and the Polish Center would begin working together to offer classes, programs, and exhibits on Polish topics. At this time, the Polish Center’s needs and collections were modest, but as word spread throughout the Polish community, gifts, donations, and other items began accumulating. The Center was rapidly outgrowing its space and needed to find a new home.
In May 2005, the Polish Center received the keys to an 18-room, 130-year-old former rectory just a block away from Elms College. This vacant, neglected building was renovated and converted into the Polish-American museum and culture center it is today. Most of the labor and materials were donated by members of the local Polish community. This building is a gesture of gratitude to our ancestors for the history and the culture they fought so hard to pass on to us.