Kolberg visited this place probably in 1870. In his list of travels there is a note “to the Hempel family (Siedlce, Kodeń, Kłodawa)”.

In the first part of the monograph of the Chełm region, there is a detailed characterization of this town:

“Włodawa is a town located by the Bug River. It was created circa 16th century by Teodor Andrzejowicz Ongulszkiewicz, the marshal of the Wołyń land. Later it was a property of the Sanguszko family, and, after that, it belonged to the Leszczyński family. The last clan erected here in 1630 a Calvinist church run by the famous Andrzej Węgierski. In 1648, the town was burnt by Cossacks who murdered the Jews. In 1663, Rafał Buczacki rebuilt the church, which, however, collapsed when the estate was bought by Ludwik Pociej. The new owner commenced the famous cattle fair (in 1726) and founded a Pauline monastery (in 1717). The church was erected by the monks in 1780; in 1864, it became a parish church. The building of synagogue from the 17th century is very engrossing. The nearby village Orchówek belongs to the jurisdiction of the Włodawa magistrate”.