Kerk, Skilpaed 2

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

Reformed Church. The church rebuilt in 1874 on a very spacious enclosed churchyard possesses the following inventory to be protected: 17th-century pulpit with backboard and sounding board, associated baptismal gate, two 17th-century gentlemen's pews, one of which is roofed; coat-of-arms board Camstra; five richly carved 16th-century gravestones and two of the same from the 17th century. Organ with Great Work, Upper Work and free Pedal. Made in 1861 by W. Hardorff. In the tower a large bell from 1473. On the churchyard a service building under a high hipped roof with three six-pane windows on the long rear facade and two on the front facade. Running wooden gutter. Introduction DUTCH REFORMED CHURCH. A church building situated on a very spacious churchyard enclosed by a beech hedge, with a substantial extension on the north side (containing transept and sacristy), erected in 1874 in eclectic style on the foundations of a predecessor (carpenter/contractor firm M. and J.P. Boonstra of Menaldum). The stone format, colour and detailing of the transept arm and sacristy differ from each other, which could indicate two different building phases. Certainty could not be obtained on this matter. The TOWER was, according to the commemorative stone, built in 1866 after a design by J.I. Douma of Leeuwarden (contractor L.R. Wybrandy of Franeker). The raised CHURCHYARD (with traditional upright and recumbent gravestones which are of local importance and are not protected by the state) is accessible via two renewed cast-iron entrance gates from the second half of the 19th century. On the south side of the churchyard lies a single-storey, presumably late 18th-century SERVICE BUILDING. Noteworthy elements are furthermore the two lime-tree avenues on the north-east side which lead to the choir and sacristy respectively border the north side of the churchyard.

Description Nine-bay CHURCH BUILDING, consisting of a hexagonally closed nave constructed of reddish-brown brick (circa 1855) under slate-covered hipped roof (Rhine-style tiling) with a weather vane on the ridge against a square tower from 1866 with slate-covered spire with tower weather vane. Decorative brickwork along the eaves; substantial extension on the north side. The north and south facades are articulated by rendered pilasters with natural stone imposts, between which blind niches (north side) and round-arched windows with tracery (south side) respectively; on both sides a half-rounded entrance section with tracery; decorative brickwork along the eaves. The hexagonally closed choir section likewise with blind niches between pilasters. The transept arm together with sacristy (1874) under a truncated slate-covered hipped roof (Rhine-style tiling) has half-rounded and light-ogived windows of varying size and with different types of tracery; gutter on corbels; rosette wall anchors; on the north side a double wooden entrance door with cast-iron decorative grilles, set in a moulded wooden frame. The square TOWER (1866) with needle spire with sphere and weather vane, comprises three storeys, separated from each other by substantial moulded cement-stone drip mouldings; iron wall anchors. In the lowest storey, with plastered corner blocks, a half-rounded entrance above which is a hardstone plaquette with (barely legible) inscription and date 1866; in the second storey, with round-arched frieze, a half-rounded coupled window with tracery, two narrow coupled windows and three clock faces under stucco decoration; in the third storey, with decorative frieze and (now missing) iron balustrade, coupled sound holes. In the bell chamber a ring of bells consisting of two bells, one made by J. Daventrie (Johannes van Deventer) in 1474 (1473?), diam. 125.5 cm and one by Hans Falck in 1619, diam. 112.7 cm. The clockwork is not worth protecting. In the INTERIOR are notably: the barrel vault with grilles and tie rods which rest on richly worked projecting cornices with stucco flowers, supported by stuccoed pilasters with Corinthian capitals; the austere church furniture with accompanying wainscoting (1874), the oak panel wall between nave and vestibule with twisted Ionic columns (17th century) and openwork border with twined twisted small columns (the columns on the nave side not painted, those on the vestibule side with marble imitation); the oak pulpit with ebony inlay work (1672; cabinetmaker Gerryt Nijhoff of Leeuwarden; carving by Hendrick Jansen of Leeuwarden) with twisted twined small columns with Ionic capitals and panels with the allegorical figures Faith, Hope, Love, Justice and Steadfastness; the oak baptismal gate with twisted small columns and richly carved ornaments; the brass baptismal basin in black-painted iron ring (attached to the pulpit); the brass lectern with garlands (19th century, early); the roofed oak gentlemen's pew (1652, painted), with twined twisted small columns and carved crowns in which alliance coat-of-arms Aebinga/Camstra; the simple gentlemen's pew on the east side (17th century, painted); the oak communion table (17th century?); mourning board Hommo van Camstra (1652); five wooden psaltery boards (19th century); copper commemorative plaque (1874); oak list of pastors (1952); 10 petroleum lamps (1874; now electric); various 17th-century and later gravestones. On the balcony supported on four columns with Ionic fantasy capitals the ORGAN with Great Work, Upper Work and free Pedal. Made in 1861 by W. Hardorff; seven-part front with a harp-playing David on the towers flanked by musical angels; second half of 19th-century organ balustrade with panels; carving with date 1861. Below the floor various burial vaults and very richly carved gravestones, including that of Werp van Juckema (died 1587) and Kempo van Donia Harinxma (died 1593).

On the south side of the churchyard lies a single-storey, presumably late 18th-century SERVICE BUILDING, constructed of red brick and covered by a rather steep hipped roof tiled with red and glazed blue tiles; in the front facade a double clamped door with rear-light fanlight and two six-pane windows; in the rear facade three six-pane windows; wooden gutter on corbels.

Assessment Church building with churchyard (with gravestones of local importance), sacristy and service building of general importance: - on account of age; - on account of building history; - on account of the architectural design of exterior and interior; - on account of valuable interior components; - on account of the striking somewhat raised location.