CHURCH of ST. ADALBERT 1903-1978 Grane Street Hill, 550 Lansing Street, Schenectady, NY 12303 (Jubilee Book)

CHURCH OF ST. ADALBERT 1903-1978 Grane Street Hill, 550 Lansing Street, Schenectady, NY 12303 (Jubilee Book) Crested on a hill stands the Church of St. Adalbert, its magnificent steeple spiralling heavenward, a reminder of the Shrine of Our Lady of Częstochowa (Jasna Góra), the spiritual and cultural focal point of Poland. Thus located, it offers a panoramic view of the City of Schenectady. As the Documents of Vatican Council II underscored, the Church is primarily people-God's people. More than two centuries before the establishment of the Church, Polish immigrants were known to be living in America, among them Albert Zaborowski. One of his descendants, John Lansing Zabriskie, was living in Schenectady in 1792. John, who in 1795 subscribed funds toward petitioning the New York State Regents to establish Union College, was a member of its first graduating class. Records further indicate that Ludwig Gapczynski, after serving in the Civil War, took up residence with his wife on Veeder Avenue in 1865. Not only was he the first Pole to become a citizen in Sche- nectady (in 1868), but his son, William, was the first person of Polish descent born in the City. A tailor by trade until his hands were severely burned, Ludwig then opened the first Polish grocery on Ferry Street. This was a blessing for the Polish women who, lacking adequate English, were forced to bring samples of coffee, pepper, sugar, and other foodstuffs wherever they shopped. The store also served as a place where friends met to exchange news. The Gapczynski family, through their subsequent travel agency and banking interest, encouraged and assisted other Polish families to settle here. The first Polish colony, following the lead of Ludwig Gapczynski, settled on Veeder Avenue, Van Guysling Avenue, South Center Street (Broadway to State Street), Edison Avenue, Weaver Street, and Millard Street. In 1875, nine Polish families were residing here; by 1880, 21; and by the 1890's, 196. By 1890, a second Polish colony was established on Ferry, Green, Liberty, North College, Front, Lower State, Dock (alongside the present Erie Boulevard), lower Union, Jefferson, and Monroe Streets. Many Poles were attracted to Schenectady by the availability of land for farming, good wag- es coupled with a demand for labor by the General Electric Company (originally Edison Machine Works) and the American Locomotive Company (originally the Schenectady Locomotive Works —popularly known as Big Shop). With this increase in Polish inhabitants, the Church of St. Mary was established in 1892 to provide a suitable place for worship. At this time, there was a wholesale shift to the Sixth Ward which included Columbia Street, Eastern Avenue, Prospect Street, and Wind- sor Terrace, while later arrivals populated the lower part of the Second Ward which included Carrie Street, Foster Avenue, Hattie Street, and vicinity. 1 Many fled to these shores to escape religious and political persecution, cultural assimilation, and economic deprivation resulting from the partitions of 1772,1793, and 1795 which ravaged Poland, obliterating the country off the map of Europe. The insurrections in Poland in 1830 and 1863 against the Russians and the subsequent reprisals made asylum in America more imperative. During the early twentieth century, compulsory military duty was an additional factor for immigration to the United States. By 1900, a substantial number of Polish-speaking immigrants settled in the Mont Pleasant and Rot- terdam areas. They desired their own place of worship closer to their homes. Meetings were held in private residences to formulate a plan of action. Louis Leszczynski, Anthony Predel, John Bietka, Louis Kania, and Anthony Przybylek composed the committee assigned to select a location for the Church. Originally, they chose a site atop Crane Street hill in the vicinity of Francis Avenue. Fran- cis Trojakowski, Paul Pieszczoch, Leon Laskowski, Alexander Rupinski, and Joseph Bruzdzinski, comprising a second committee, sought approval of the Most Rev. Thomas Burke, Bishop of the Diocese of Albany, for the establishment of a second Polish Roman Catholic Church in Schenecta- dy. The Bishop granted approval for a church between Lansing and Crane Streets, the committee's alternative location. At the Bishop's suggestion, the name St. Adalbert was chosen for Schenectady's sixth Roman Catholic Church. St. Adalbert was a Bohemian Missionary Bishop and friend of Prince Boleslaus the Brave of Poland. Forty years after his birth, while performing his mission work in East Prussia, pagan priests instigated a revolt. Adalbert was killed on April 23, 997. Boleslaus ransomed Adalbert's body from the Prussians with payment of silver equal to the weight of the martyr's body. The remains of the patron saint of our parish rest in the Cathedral of the Primatial See of Poland at Gniezno. Boleslaus is portrayed on the right wall of the main entrance of our Church. On December 1, 1902, a $25 deposit was paid to the Veeder Estate for seven lots, five of which were on Crane Street (first known as Engine Hill) and two on Lansing Street. With sufficient property to work with, Edward Hanigan, a prominent area contractor was retained to build the Church of St. Adalbert. In the spring of 1903, the site was cleared of trees, graded, and the foundation for the new wooden church begun. Rev. Joseph Gogolewski 1903-1916 2 On May 23, 1903, the Bishop sent the Rev. Joseph Gogolewski to take over the organizational tasks and to act as the first Pastor of the fledgling parish, numbering about 70 families. Born on August 10, 1867, Father Gogolewski attended high school (gimnazjum) in Piotrkbw, in the Russian sector of partitioned Poland. He later studied at the seminary in Wtoclawek and received priestly ordination in 1890. As prefect of institutions of higher learning, he was subject to persecution and removed from his position by the Russian rulers of the sector. Forced to leave his homeland, he made his way to America and was accepted by the Albany Diocese. Rev. John Szczypta served as the first assistant under Father Gogolewski. Thereafter, Rev. Stanis- laus Pruski, a friend of Father Gogolewski from Poland, worked as assistant pastor for three years. Following his departure, the Bishop named Rev. Peter Kujawski as assistant. Father Gogolewski assumed the pastorate with a small amount of cash on hand. On Memorial Day, May 30, 1903, when Father Gogolewski celebrated the first Mass on the foundation of the home being built by Francis Trojakowski, a trustee of the Church, it is reported that the foundation gave way slightly because of the number of people in attendance. On June 4,1903, the Certificate of Incor- poration of St. Adalbert Roman Catholic Church was signed by Father Gogolewski, Pastor, Francis Trojakowski and Paul Pieszczoch, Trustees. While administrative duties were attended to, the laying of the Church foundation was completed. A temporary floor was laid and a small altar erected. The first Mass on parish property was celebrated, outdoors, on July 4, 1903. It is recalled that an organ was carted up Crane Street hill by an unidentified grocer from his home on Van Guysling Avenue to the parish grounds. Prior to the completion of the Church, many parishioners attended services and received the Sacraments at St. Joseph's Church on Lafayette Street, just as Poles did years earlier prior to the formation of St. Mary's Church. First Mass was celebrated on foundation of this home located on Crane Street. July 4, 1903, has special significance to Valentine Bluduga and Sophie Saybat united in Holy Mat- rimony on that historic day. The following day, July 5, Eugenia Kulczyk, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Victor Kulczyk, was the first person to be baptized. Although heavily involved with church construction, the parish founders were also concerned with the other aspects of parish-community life, namely with a school and a parish cemetery. A gift of five 3 acres of land on Hamburg Street (formerly Guilderland Road), forming the core of the present-day, fifteen- acre cemetery, was donated by Mr. and Mrs. Wladystaw Sobieski in August, 1903. The first person to be interred was Paul Zywicki who died that summer. Shortly after the Church foundation was completed, plans for a school were formulated and a two-sto- ry wooden structure was built. On September 8, 1903, approximately 200 children were enrolled in the new parish school. In order to facilitate the learning process, the students were divided into four groups according to age and size, since this method of grouping seemed to be the only solution. Among the early teachers were Mr. Cieslicki, Mr. Dolata, Miss Finan, Mr. Hapke, Mr. Kosinski, Miss Padley, Miss Scully, and Miss Wallace, with Father Gogolewski as Principal. The last of the three structures to be completed was the rectory, readied for occupancy in December, 1903, serving as the parish house until February, 1965. The school, church, and rectory were all built within a period of seven months. All three wooden structures were valued at $33,000. Financing this ambitious building program required large sums of money for those days. Every con- ceivable means to raise funds was employed by the parishioners. The Holy Trinity Society, which was founded by Frank Trojakowski, Konstanty Wesolowski, and Jacob Pienkowski and organized in January of 1903, donated funds to help defray part of the labor costs. Oryginal Church Interior furnishings for the Church, such as the folding chairs and the altar carpet, were purchased with funds raised from door-to-door solicitations. Individual donations of cash, material, and labor were also made. In addition, a $6,500 mortgage was needed to cover remaining costs. With the construction of the Pleasant Valley Bridge spanning the Cotton Factory Hollow, easy access to the whole area was made possible in 1905, a contributing factor to parish growth.

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