History

The history of the Casimir Cultural Center is rooted in the history of the former St. Casimir Polish Roman Catholic Church, founded in 1902. Below are links to various written histories of the parish detailed by former members and also historians.

History of St. Casimir’s Parish – Johnstown – 50th Anniversary – 1952

History of Church of St. Casimir – Helen Lech, Naród Polski, February 22, 1996.

As the owners of the former St. Casimir, we are honored to be the stewards of this historical, cultural and religious treasure. We value its heritage and the impact its people and traditions had not only on the Cambria City neighborhood, but on our entire region.

We have been gifted with many photographs, historical memorabilia and family heirlooms from former parishioners. Our gratitude for this generosity can never fully be measured. Many of the photographs and paper memorabilia have been digitized and preserved as part of the Cambria Memory Project, which is an effort through Penn Highlands College to digitize historical records pertaining to the heritage and history of Cambria County.

It is impossible for the multitude of items that we received to be displayed in the Cultural Center, but the use of the Cambria Memory Project has allowed us to offer full public access to these archives, specifically dedicated to the former St. Casimir Parish. They are now available for posterity. *Please note that the Cambria Memory Project Site is constantly being updated and a full record of archives may not be available until the end of 2021.

There are also items of importance to the former St. Casimir and the other ethnic churches of Cambria City housed in the Cultural Center as part of our Permanent Collection. You can view them here or by visiting the Cultural Center during events or when times are scheduled for tours.

Our gallery below is a sampling of photographs showing the progress of the building from the parish of St. Casimir to the Casimir Cultural Center.