Dom Polski – 1081 Broadway

[nggallery id=82](click on image for full view)

The Lt. Col. Matt Urban Human Services Center at 1081 Broadway is one of my favorite buildings in B-F.  After a meeting there yesterday, I snapped a few photos.

It was designed by B-F’s own Wladyslaw Zawadzki who also was the architect of a lot of different building throughout the neighborhood.

From Lt. Col. Matt Urban Human Services Center’s website on the buildings history…

The Polish Community Center’s site at 1081 Broadway was built in 1905 as a Dom Polski (Polish Home) Club. Throughout the years the building saw many changes including retail space on the first floor, while maintaining the social club’s presence above.

In 1976 The Polish Community Center of Buffalo was incorporated as a cultural/service organization. In the last 32 years, the Center has grown into the multi faceted human service organization that exists today . It now operates five sites and employs nearly 40 people. On November 11, 2000, the PCCB officially changed its name to the “Lt. Col. Matt Urban Human Services Center of Western New York” (the Matt Urban Center) and rededicated its mission to serve the needs of the diverse surrounding community under a new corporate identity.  By taking the name of Lt. Col. Matt Urban, the PCCB paid honor to the most decorated war veteran in American history, who was born and raised in the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood.

I love how the building dominates the corner of Broadway and Playter.  It has the familiar Zawadzki cornice, peak and brick work that makes the building stand out and interesting.

The Matt Urban Center also has one of B-F’s best lyceums…a lot of B-F’s churches have these and were the social hubs of the neighborhood back in the day…plays, concerts, lectures, dances, weddings, etc.

It also houses the Joseph C. Mazur Gallery…

A side story…I worked at the Polish Community Center back in 1984 with the Mayor’s Summer Youth Program.