Mokotowskie Toll Houses

Main data:

Year of construction: 1816-18
Designer: Jakub Kubicki
Location: Pl. Unii Lubelskiej 1, 2

At Unii Lubelskiej Square two small, twin buildings, situated on both sides of Pulawska street draw attention. Today we can say that they are one of symbolic gates to the centre. In the past, they used to be a real gate, and not to the centre, only to the whole city.

The construction of those buildings was connected with arranging so-called Lubomirski. Trenches around the city, in 1770. The route of this trenches was more or less corresponding to today's border of Srodmiescie district. And later the trenches were also built around on right bank of Vistula, around Praga. Their defensive use was not a main aim of construction, however, during Kosciuszko Uprising some cannons were put on them and they played a military role then. But their main function was to control the flow of people and commodities to and from the city, and also to protect the city against the epidemic of plague. In 1810s a decision to renovate the trenches was made (since then they were supposed only to play a role of a 'toll border'). Next to main tracts leading to the city characteristic buildings of toll houses were constructed then - they were supposed to be the only gates to the city. On the left bank of Vistula they were as follows:
- Marymonckie Toll Houses (Rogatki Marymonckie) - in the area of today's Wilson Square (Plac Wilsona),
- Powazkowskie Toll Houses (Rogatki Powązkowskie) - in the area of today's intersection of Powazkowska and Okopowa streets,
- Wola Toll Houses (Rogatki Wolskie) - at today's intersection of Okopowa and Chlodna,
- Jerozolimskie Toll Houses (Rogatki Jerozolimskie) - at today's Zawiszy Square,
- Mokotowskie Toll Houses (Rogatki Mokotowskie) - at Unii Lubelskiej Square,
- Belweder Toll Houses (Rogatki Belwederskie) - at Belwederska street, next to intersection with Parkowa street,
- Czerniakowskie Toll Houses (Rogatki Czerniakowskie) - at Czerniakowska street, more or less next to today's intersection with Gagarina street;
They were all constructed in years 1816-18 and designed by Jakub Kubicki. They were all of a similar architectural style, however each object had its own individuality, for example Jerozolimskie Toll Houses were round. Probably a few years later (about 1823) toll houses on right bank of Vistula were built. We can find them all on old maps of Warsaw, they were as follows:
- Grochowskie Toll Houses (Rogatki Mokotowskie), previously called Moscow Toll Houses (Rogatki Moskiewskie), at the end of Grochowska street,
- Terespol Toll Houses (Rogatki Terespolskie), on today's railway areas, behind eastern train station,
- Kaweczyn Toll Houses (Rogatki Kawęczyńskie), at the end of Kaweczynska street, next to the railway line,
- Zabki Toll Houses (Rogatki Ząbkowskie), in the place of today's railway line flyover, next to the intersection of Radzyminska street and Solidarnosci Avenue,
- Stalowa Toll House (Rogatka Stalowa), at the end of Stalowa street, next to railway line,
- Vilnius Toll House (Rogatka Wileńska), on another map called Brodno Toll Houses (Rogatki Bródnowskie), in the area of today Rondo Zaba,
- Petersburg Toll Houses (Rogatki Petersburskie), in the area of today's Rondo Starzynskiego;

Until today on the right bank only Grochowskie Toll Houses remained, and on the left bank - only Mokotowskie Toll Houses. Today, the western building is used as a cafe, and in the eastern one it used to be a ticket office of Warsaw Transport Authority, and today it stands empty. In the future it will be used for culture functions - there is a plan to locate here the Museum of Sue Ryder. In order to do so, the toll house will be renovated - the companies of BBI Development and Liebrecht & Wood, who construct the neighbouring Plac Unii skyscraper, will help in it.

The western Toll House:

The eastern Toll House:

General views of Unii Lubelskiej Square with both Toll Houses: