St. Laurentiuskerk

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

R.C. CHURCH OF ST. LAURENTIUS, 1924-1926. Built on the site of a church building dating from 1837, commissioned by the R.C. Church Council of St. Laurentius at Spaubeek. The present Laurentiuskerk, designed in traditional style, is the first realized church design by architect J. Schoenmaekers at Sittard.

The church is situated on the north side of the village square located between Kerkstraat and Bongerd and, owing to its orientation towards the east, is projected transversely across the Bongerd.

The attached red brick chimney against the rear facade of the extension behind the south-eastern transept arm is EXCLUDED from protection.

Description

The Laurentiuskerk has a cruciform GROUND PLAN as its principal form. The nave is preceded on the west side by a robust square tower with a central entrance and built-out staircase. On either side of this tower are low side portals with built-out entrances and a baptismal chapel, which is now arranged as a Maria chapel. The nave has side aisles. Built-out side entrances in the angles between the nave and transept arms. An apse with bevelled facade corners. On either side of the apse, behind the transept arms, L-shaped extensions.

Transept arms and nave are covered by GABLED ROOFS with Tuile-du-Nord tiles. Triangular roof dormers with zinc roofs. Roof turret on the crossing. The remaining roofs are covered with slate in Maas bond: the gabled roofs on the side portals on either side of the tower, onto which the half-hipped roofs of the entrance sections and the former baptismal chapel (now Maria chapel) are inserted; the half-tent roof of the apse, resting against the gable of the choir; the half-hipped roofs of the built-out chapels behind the transept arms; the hipped roof of the sacristy. The outer sides of the wooden gutter boxes are clad with slate. The gabled roofs lie recessed behind gables which have a slate covering. On the tapered tower spire with gilded weathervane and around the belfry openings of the tower are slates in Maas bond.

Rectangular wooden DOORS, both single and double, in arched frames with infill pieces. The doors are composed of rebated parts and have wrought-iron fittings. Semi-circular, round and rectangular windows, predominantly with stained glass. Some windows have grilles.

The outer facades of St. Laurentiuskerk are built of NIEVELSTEIN SANDSTONE, with hard stone sills, window traceries and steps. Gables and buttresses covered with slate in Maas bond. Large ornamental wall anchors in the gables. Profiled plinth, stepped cornice under the gutters.

The appearance of the church is dominated by the massive square tower on the west side of the nave. This tower has a recessed double wooden entrance door with fittings, above which is a semi-circular fanlight with vertical traceries. Above this the tower has two rows of single and triple-coupled narrow rectangular oculus windows. The west and north facades of the tower have a clock. Below the roof overhang of the tapered spire, each side of the tower has bevelled belfry openings on either side. On the south side a built-out staircase. On either side of the tower are low built-out volumes with gabled roofs, onto which transversely inserted are the built-out side portals, as well as the former baptismal chapel on the north-west side. The south side portal is built-out on the south side. In the gable of the north side portal is a vertically-divided round window, beneath which is a row of three semi-circular windows.

The five bays of the nave are separated from one another by substantial buttresses on both facade sides. Per bay two coupled semi-circular windows with stained glass in the clerestory, in the per-bay bevelled side aisle a small rectangular window. In the angles between side aisles and nave are side entrances which have a half-hipped roof inserted transversely across the side aisle.

In the gables of both transept arms is a round window with vertical traceries, below which are three times two-coupled windows. In the angle of the south transept arm and the choir is an L-shaped building volume with a hipped roof and a substantial overhang on corbels. Three rectangular windows with grilles and two basement windows in the south facade. On the east side of this volume, a basement entrance beneath a heavily-proportioned lintel. Between the apse and this built-out volume is a transversely-built-out chapel beneath a tent roof with semi-circular windows.

Against the spout-gable of the choir is placed the low, bevelled apse with semi-circular windows. The half-tent roof of the apse rests against the aforementioned gable. In the angle of the north transept arm and the choir is again a built-out structure beneath a hipped roof with a transversely-built-out chapel beneath a tent roof. Both the extension and the chapel have semi-circular windows. In the north facade of the extension is a recessed entrance door placed in a basket-arched portico, above which is an infill piece. In the plinth of the apse and the extensions behind the transept arms are some embedded old gravestones.

The INTERIOR of the church is characterized by a three-aisle nave with five bays. Nave and side aisles are separated from one another on either side by five round arcades, which rest on columns of Nievelstein sandstone, with a brick basement and a cornice of Nievelstein sandstone. A plinth of glazed brick and Nievelstein sandstone runs throughout the church. Side aisles, separated per bay by arched passages. In the nave, the transept arms and the choir are wooden pointed barrel vaults constructed from wooden parts with brass and groove joinery, resting on heavy wooden consoles. The side aisles and transept arms have semi-circular niches, in which the Stations of the Cross are placed. Apse with whitewashed dome vault and side chapels.

Original church furnishings on platforms. Likewise church pews and chairs in the transept arms, on either side of the extended choir.

The interior has undergone some modifications with respect to its arrangement. In 1969-1970 the priests' choir was extended into the crossing and the altar placed behind the intersection of nave and transept arms. The organ was moved from the choir loft to the apse. Grilles behind the entrance portals close off access to the nave.

In this interior are notably: the organ dating from 1868, made by Lambertus Vermeulen at Weert, being the oldest preserved organ of this firm. This organ comprises one manual, an attached pedal and has 11 stops. The replacement of the Mixture by a Vox celeste during the transfer of the organ to the new church building in 1925 was reversed at the 1971 restoration by Verschueren at Heythuysen; the oak wooden pulpit, 19th century, featuring among others representations of the four evangelists in high relief on the panels of the body; two oak wooden confessionals, 19th century, placed in the side aisles; a polychrome wooden Maria figure with the Christ Child carrying a globe, 1873, made by Jos Thissen; polychrome wooden Laurentius figure, 1875, Jos Thissen; an oak wooden Sacred Heart figure, circa 1900; an oak wooden Sacred Heart of Maria figure, circa 1900; a polychrome wooden Francis figure, 20th century, Festraets workshop at Brussels; a yellow copper processional cross with cast corpus of later date, 17th-19th century; a small wooden crucifix, 19th century, with white-painted corpus; a polychrome wooden crucifix, 1889. Furthermore four stained glass windows of 200x100 cm on either side of the choir, 1837, depicting Laurentius, John the Baptist, Peter and Paul. These windows are from the old church and were damaged during the Second World War; stained glass windows by Jos Postmes (1896-1934), 200x100cm, circa 1926, in the apse (annunciation, visitation, nativity, presentation in the temple, finding in the temple); in the left transept arm (rose window of the Holy Family, diam. 300cm, below which are six windows of Hubert, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Gerlachus); in the right transept arm (Edward window, below which are six windows of Joseph, Father of Hasselt, Barbara, Theresa, Gerard, Anthony of Padua); in the clerestories of the nave windows depicting Christ, the prophets, various parables and the Litany of Loreto; twice three windows (Holy Family and family life) and a round window (St. Isidore, kneeling before a crucifix) in the entrance portico of the church. Wall paintings of the twelve apostles in nave and transept arms, circa 1930, G. Tielens with details by prof. Timmers.

Valuation

The Laurentiuskerk at Spaubeek is of cultural-historical value as a particular expression of the development of local and regional spiritual life in the first half of the twentieth century.

The architectural-historical values are determined by the region-bound use of materials, the aesthetic qualities of the church and the particular quality of various interior components such as the Vermeulen organ and the stained glass windows by Jos Postmes. The Laurentiuskerk is also important for the oeuvre of architect J. Schoenmaekers at Sittard.

The church contributes significantly to the appearance of the village and region and is important for the visual integrity of the village and landscape surroundings.

The Laurentiuskerk possesses, with respect to its exterior, a high degree of architectural integrity. The integrity of the interior has been preserved to a reasonable extent.

Finally, the Laurentiuskerk, owing to the region-bound building materials, is reasonably rare from a supra-regional perspective, which in connection with the above considerations represents a matter of national interest.