Kerk, Kerkstraat 1

English translation

The text above is the record as published by the Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed, in Dutch. The English below is a machine translation made by TreeAlive, not by the Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed; it has not been checked by a person. Where the two differ, the original is the record. Report a translation error: privacy@treealive.com

Description

Introduction

REFORMED CHURCH. Striking church building situated behind the IJsselmeerdijk, built in 1632 on the foundations of a late sixteenth-century predecessor and consisting until 1892 of a two-aisled hall church. In 1658 the church was extended with a southern aisle, which was demolished again in 1892. Since then the building has been single-aisled.

Also in 1892 the originally pointed-arched windows were renewed in round-arched form and the buttresses, which once extended sliced to the roof line, were sloped over with slate. The entrance portals with frontals on the north and south sides (the latter originally from the west side), were made in 1658 (the year in which the southern aisle was erected) by Claes Lykles.

Of the TOWER, consisting in Frisian medieval manner of three blocky divisions, for which payment was made in 1593, the spire burned in 1701. This was replaced in 1724 by the present open wooden crowning consisting of three storeys, partly covered with slate, designed by Claes Piters (which design was followed in 1737 at Oldeboorn).

Around the church lies the slightly raised oval CHURCHYARD, enclosed by a simple wooden fence. The significance of this churchyard, whose traditional and relatively young gravestones are moreover of local importance, lies particularly in the historical relationship which the churchyard has with the church building and the fact that virtually all stones are lying down. The churchyard also contains several war graves (1940-1945).

Description

Seven bays deep single-aisled church building, constructed of yellow Frisian stone and covered by a hipped roof with grey-blue slate (Maas roofing) covering on three sides against square tower on the west side; five-sided choir closure with copper weathervane in the form of a hind; iron wall anchors. The south gable is articulated by mortared buttresses between which, alternately, round-arched windows with profiles and tracery of red brick; relatively young stained glass; iron wall anchors. The southern entrance section, with broken frontal and inscription with the date 1658, was made by Claes Lykles and comes from the southern aisle demolished in 1892. The (renewed) double wooden entrance doors with iron ornamental ironwork and half-round closed fanlight with (relatively young) stained glass are flanked by mortared pilasters, upon which a broken frontal with city coat of arms with stag, tree and hind; keystone with death's head.

The north gable is articulated like the south gable. The entrance section there is flanked by mortared pilasters with ashlar bands and fantasy capitals with Ionic volutes and carved heads and a keystone; above it a frieze with scrollwork, cornucopia and wine ewer; in the broken frontal the city coat of arms. Double clamped wooden doors, above which half-round closed fanlight with (relatively young) stained glass.

In the five-sided enclosed choir two round-arched windows.

The yellow brick TOWER consists of three blocky slightly tapered divisions, trimmed with a few corner blocks, which are separated from each other by ashlar drip mouldings. In the upper division, closed off by a balustrade, sound holes. Under the gutter line a round-arched frieze on sandstone corbels.

Above this an equally constricted partly slate-covered (Rhine roofing) partly closed, partly open-worked wooden octagon of three divisions with walkway and wooden balustrades; the whole crowned by a cupola upon which a pear with weathervane in the form of a ship.

In the INTERIOR, covered by a wooden barrel vault with tie-beams, the following are notably important: a round-arched passage in moulded stone framing between nave and tower; in the north-eastern corner of the tower a partially mortared stair set into the wall; the (executed in seventeenth-century manner) pulpit from 1892 with bundled fluted Corinthian pilasters on the corners of the bowl, stairs, back panel and sounding board; late nineteenth-century wooden wall panelling and matching furnishings; seven wooden hymn boards (nineteenth-twentieth century), a collection bag holder (nineteenth-twentieth century), two wooden name boards with names of ministers and paintwork in local style (the oldest dating from around 1927); six late seventeenth-century gilt-brass crowns; a gilt-brass baptismal font (seventeenth-eighteenth century); some simple sixteenth-, seventeenth-, eighteenth- and nineteenth-century gravestones. Furthermore the ORGAN with main work and upper work, made in 1812 by L. van Dam and Zonen for the Reformed Church at Oosterbierum in a carved case by Jan Harmensz Camp from 1719 (or by his father Harmen Jansz. from 1665). The instrument, which stands on a late nineteenth-century balustrade resting on cast iron columns, was moved in 1868 to Hindeloopen.

In the TOWER a bell frame with chimes of two bells, one of which is by P. Overney, 1685, diameter 120 centimetres and a modern bell. Mechanical wrought-iron tower clock, seventeenth century. Is no longer in use.

Evaluation

Church building with younger tower and churchyard of general importance:

- by reason of the age of the various components;

- by reason of the building history;

- by reason of the architectural design;

- by reason of the valuable interior components;

- by reason of the oval churchyard with predominantly lying gravestones (which moreover are of local importance);

- by reason of the striking location just behind the IJsselmeerdijk;

- by reason of the great visual value for Hindeloopen and the surrounding area.