Polish Town is a small neighborhood in Riverhead settled by Polish immigrants at the turn of the century. They came to this country for several reasons, the most important of which was the religious persecution that developed after Poland was divided among Russia, Prussia, and Austria.

They also came seeking jobs that would enable them to save enough to bring their families to the new world. Since agriculture was their main line of work in Poland, a country whose very name means “the land of fields,” it was natural for them to come to the rich farmlands of eastern Long Island and work on the local farms.

In the early 1900s, the wage of a Polish farm worker was $10 a month plus room and board. These immigrants worked hard to advance and become American citizens while maintaining knowledge of the culture they left behind.

The early Polish immigrants did more than work the farms. Twenty young men joined together and pledged themselves to a Polish fraternity. They built a wooden church with twin spires using their own hard-earned pennies.

St. Isidore’s Church, named for the patron saint of farmers, was built in 1906 and is the oldest Polish Roman Catholic church on Long Island. The church became the focal point and spiritual heart of the community known as Polish Town.

Community functions were held at the Riverhead Polish Hall, which was incorporated in 1907. The present building was constructed around 1925 after the first building burned.

On October 9, 1929, the Riverhead Town Board approved a resolution changing Cemetery Street to Pulaski Street. The change honored General Casimir Pulaski and reflected the growth of the established Polish Town community.

Descendants of those early immigrants remain part of Riverhead as homeowners, public officials, businesspeople, doctors, lawyers, teachers, merchants, tradespeople, and farmers.