Czerner Kowalik House

Czerner Kowalik House. . , Recognized as the earliest Polish settlement in America, the Settlement of Panna Maria was established in 1854. Three waves of immigration from Upper Silesia (present-day Poland) populated the community, and settlers quickly constructed the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church (1855), homes and St. Joseph School (1868). , , Built in the 1860s and overlooking the San Antonio River Valley, this house was constructed by Albert Czerner (1826-1919) and his wife Renata (Ibrom) Czerner (1826-1906). Albert and Renata emigrated in 1855 with their two young children, Johana and Hedwig. The Czerner family increased with seven additional children born in Panna Maria between 1857 and 1871. Like many families in the community, the Czerner family farmed the land and raised livestock. Thomas Kowalik (1851-1938) immigrated to Texas in 1856 and married Hedwig Czerner (1853-1888) in 1875. They purchased the house and land. Sadly, Hedwig died giving birth to their fourth child. Thomas never remarried, raised his four children in the house and continued living here until his death. , The Czerner-Kowalik House displays typical characteristics of rural Upper Silesian homes. The house is a simple, rectangular plan with thick masonry walls covered with white plaster and a steeply pitched gable roof and large porch, designed to provide shelter from seasonal weather changes. The house was designed with three rooms on the first floor with the largest enclosed with heavy stone walls. The west wall features two back-to-back fireplaces that face the east and west rooms, and a loft lies under the gable roof with an opening on the east wall above the window. This historic house stands as a reminder of the rich Polish culture and heritage of Texas. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark .