Kerk, Pastoor Spaanplein 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

Introduction

In 1923 the parish council of the Roman Catholic church 'Heilige Johannes de Doper' decided to have a new church built, because the existing church from 1861 had become too small. They wanted the new church to be built on the same spot. Architect W. te Riele, who had already built up an extensive oeuvre in church construction, was given the commission. He designed a three-aisle hall church in neogothic style, with the choir oriented towards the east. Because the church had to be larger than its predecessor and the site was relatively small, Te Riele had to place the church at an angle on the square. Thanks in part to its size, the church occupies a prominent place in the townscape. The church was completed in 1925. The interior of the church was more richly decorated in its decoration than is the case today. The vaults were richly painted, among other things. These were overpainted in white shortly after 1960. The stained glass windows presumably come from the workshop of Joep Nicolaas sr. from Roermond, with whom Te Riele also collaborated on other churches. The extension against the northeast side of the church and the old rectory are of subordinate importance for the protection.

Description

In the northwest corner of the old town, a three-aisle hall church built in brick under Dutch tile covered gabled roofs, hipped roofs and spire roofs. The roof panels of the nave are interrupted, for the benefit of the clerestory, by masonry gables with steeply pitched roofs. The ground plan of the church is characterised by a spacious layout of the nave and side aisles which have the same height and length of three bays, creating a square ground form. On the east side the crossing with short side aisles adjoins this. The church is closed off on the east side by a five-sided choir and two absidioles. The exterior has massive facades of grey brick, into which mainly pointed arch windows with masonry mullions and forked tracery are set. Below the sill of the pointed arch windows a virtually continuous dentil moulding is laid. The roof edges are bordered by friezes of sawtooth and dentil mouldings. On most corners of the building volumes, once-bevelled obliquely placed buttresses are built. The west front is formed by a stepped gable with entrance section. This consists of an arched double door set in a recessed pointed arch shaped facade. Above the entrance a large pointed arch window is placed with a wide masonry central mullion ending in forked tracery. On either side of the entrance and window, pointed arch shaped blind windows are built into the facade. To the right, against the side gable of the stepped gable, a staircase tower under a steeply pitched roof is placed. The side facades are six bays long in total and have a rhythmic articulation of buttresses and pilaster strips, between which pointed arch windows are placed. At the height of the crossing is the slightly recessed transept under a steeply pitched roof which adjoins the tower. Against the transept, an absidiole under a gabled roof is placed on both the south and north sides, which on the south side is almost completely built in by the sacristy. The sacristy has one storey and has a hexagonal tower with a hexagonal spire roof as its crowning on the southeast corner. Three barred windows are set in the facade. The choir is crowned by a gabled roof, the ridge of which is lower than that of the nave. The tower has a trapezoidal ground form and above the ridge of the nave transforms into a hexagonal form, in which sound holes are made on each side. Each corner side is emphasised by a pilaster strip. The spire is covered with red roof tiles. The interior of the church is characterised by the consistent application of fair-faced brickwork (grey brick). Heavy masonry pillars transform into masonry, transverse arches and ribs. The ribs are enriched at the crossing points with abstract decorative brickwork in yellow and black stone. The plastered vaults are now whitewashed. The masonry cross-ribbed vaults in the shallow priest's choir spring from a natural stone corbel. Along the clerestory of the apse runs a triforium. The pointed arch windows of the choir have stained glass windows. The floor of the church is covered with tiles (stone red, orange, blue-grey and black) in a geometric pattern. The black marble high altar has a white, neogothic structure which is crowned by a Christ figure with outstretched arms. The wooden church benches and confessionals also date from the building period.

Valuation

The Roman Catholic church 'Heilige Johannes de Doper' is of general importance because of its cultural and architectural historical value as a characteristic example of a hall church in neogothic style from the third quarter of the 19th century, designed by W. te Riele. As such, the church, which in both its exterior and interior remains largely in its original state, is of importance for the oeuvre of architect W. te Riele. The church is also of importance as an expression of Roman Catholic faith at that time and has ensemble value as a character-defining element within the historic building stock of Montfoort.