Polish Club of San Francisco

In 1926 the Polish community of San Francisco converted a church on 22nd and Shotwell Streets and opened its doors as the Polish Club of San Francisco, referred to today as "Dom Polski", or "Polish Home". It is a community center in the Mission District in San Francisco, California, USA.

Before the Polish Club was created, Polish organizations in northern California held meetings in private homes or in spaces rented from other organizations. The oldest Polish group, the Polish Society of California, rented office space at 273 Golden Gate Avenue in San Francisco. The most prominent Polish organizations (The Polish Society of California, the St. Stanislaus Society, and the Literary and Dramatic Society) joined together to create the Polish Club community center to preserve and share Polish culture.

The first written documents discussing the creation of a Polish club can be found in manuscripts of the board meetings of the Polish Society of California. They are written in Polish and are located in the Polish Club’s library. On August 2 1925, during a board meeting of the Polish Society of California, the invited representative of the Literary and Dramatic Society, Miss Wyrozynska, proposed that a new Polish Club Committee be created. Subsequently Mr. Tomaszewski of the Polish Society of California proposed the rules for the establishment of support committees. Both organizations were to initiate their own Polish Club committees within their own structures that would independently raise funds towards a mutual goal -- The Polish Club. After this meeting both committees worked at full speed, and soon after a third committee was initiated within the St. Stanislaus Society.

The first joint meeting of all three committees was held at the end of October 1925. During this meeting it was decided that each society should elect five members to the Joint Committee. Participants formulated the initial rules which declared that the joint committee would elect its own board and have its own bank account. In the meantime a fundraising campaign for the club was in full swing. It was run simultaneously and independently by all three committees. The most important element of this campaign included participation in the San Francisco Parade which was attended by numerous Polish-Americans from all over California.

During this campaign a very interesting division of responsibilities emerged among all the committees. Two insurance companies: The Polish Society of California and the St. Stanislaus Society became financial pillars of the Polish Club due to their business skills, whereas the relatively new non-profit Literary and Dramatic Society became the spiritual engine and the soul of the whole campaign.

Fundraising efforts were cooperative. On March 29 1926 funds were sufficient to purchase a building. The committees authorized the purchase of a former church at 3040 22nd Street in the then-elegant Mission District of San Francisco. The proposal to purchase the building was adopted and the final rules were set. It was decided that these particular societies in San Francisco choose from their membership directors to the board of the Polish Club. Two Societies, the Polish Society of California and the St. Stanislaus Society, proposed six directors each since both contributed $3,000 to the purchase of the club; the third Society, the Literary and Dramatic Society, though unable to support the club financially, represented a large number of Poles, and as such contributed three directors. Following these guidelines the first board of the Polish Club was formed.

Formal purchase of the building on 3040 22nd Street was transacted on April 19 1926 for the sum of $5,000. Soon after the building was insured and remodeling began. First, the library of the Polish Society of California was moved to the new location on the first floor. It was decided that all three societies would pay $5.00 for the daily use of the club for their meetings. The first recorded meeting was held on Shotwell Street on October 1 1926. This was a meeting of the Polish Society of California. Among other declarations it was decided that the library would be accessible to and open to all members of the societies of the Polish Club. This decision was one of the first declarations of the Polish Club and closes one of the most interesting events of Polish history in California.

The most active workers in Polish organizations after World War I were Stanisław A. Blonski, Paweł Brzuza, Feliz Gottlicher, Henryk Piatkiewicz, Lucyan Markiewicz, E. Potasz, and Florian and Jozefa Nilkasiewicz. Later Michael Maslach, Katarzyna Pich, Albin Isaeff, and Victor Wielgosz arrived.

After Poland obtained its independence, the Polish community in San Francisco collected funds that were sent to the "Old Country.” This was a way that members helped the country of their origin.

The year 1926 was a turning point in the life of Polish organizations in San Francisco, i.e., the year that the Polish community established its own home at 3040 22nd Street. With the club as its focal point the Polish community was very active. Under the direction of Mrs. Jozefa Niklasiewicz, a Literary and Dramatic Society was organized and there was cooperation with other national groups. The Polish community took an active interest in the opening of the Bay Bridge for which Ralph Modjeski (born Rudolf Modrzejewski) was consulting engineer. Articles with Polish themes were frequently seen in local newspapers.

Jacek Purat: The 65th Anniversary of the Polish Club in San Franciscoand Halina Grochowska-Jimenez

The Club’s main purpose was, and is, to serve as a center for the preservation and propagation of Polish culture, art, language and community and to be a focal point for Polish organizations in northern California.