Woonhuis, Burgemeester Meslaan 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

Detached VILLA built in 1898 (datestone on front facade) designed by an unknown architect in Neo-Renaissance style. The villa is located in an expansion district between the railway line and the former village of Drumpt, which from the late nineteenth century has been built up largely with detached villas and middle-class dwellings. The property is markedly situated near the station (1882), on the southwestern side of the Burgemeester Meslaan (formerly Culemborgse Grintweg) at the intersection of residential streets.

The villa is the most elaborately executed dwelling in the district and is primarily characterized by projecting risalits on the front and left side facade, which are crowned with stepped gables. The prominent location of the property is reinforced by the fact that it is surrounded on all four sides by a substantial garden. On the street side this garden is bounded by a non-original garden wall which, like the non-original extension on the left side facade of the property, falls outside the protection.

Description

The VILLA, with a basement, is constructed in red brick on an approximately square ground plan with projecting risalits on the front and left side facade. The property has two storeys and an attic storey under a continuous, flattened hipped roof, with roof pitches over the stepped gable risalits. The roofs are clad with slate in Dutch bond and drainage takes place via a profiled wooden gutter on brackets. In the front, right and rear roof slopes there is a roof dormer, which is finished with a gabled roof that projects on the front and is crowned with a zinc weathervane. The roof is covered with slate. The facades are constructed in cross bond with a projecting plinth finished with a drip moulding in brick. Below the windows of the first and second storey runs a drip moulding of profile brick and the facade is finished below the gutter with a moulding. The brickwork is enlivened by decorative bands in dark-jointed stone coursings in cut stone, accents in yellow brickwork and richly curled wrought-iron ornamental wall anchors. The brickwork appears as block decoration on the facade corners and as framing of windows, at the level of window sills and intermediate sills, in arches and as diamond-shaped decoration in arch drums. The facade openings are mostly relieved by basket arches, constructed in alternating red brick and yellow brickwork, with the arch drums executed mainly in simple red decorative brickwork with yellow diamonds. The stepped gables that crown the risalits are executed with projecting shoulders on natural stone corner pieces with profile and have coping stones on the steps. The stepped gable of the front facade has a brick coping with wrought-iron decorative piece with weathervane. Primarily stolp windows are used in the facades, originally with multi-light fanlights which have disappeared over time. The recently applied glazing bars contain more bars than in the original situation. Three windows in the front facade are provided with green-painted panel shutters. In the projecting right section of the asymmetrically arranged FRONT FACADE there is a window of the type already described in each storey. The main entrance is located on the right in the wider left bay, in the corner with the risalit. Furthermore there are windows in both storeys of the facade as already described, with that above the front door being narrower. The door is accessible via a high landing with steps, executed in brick and ashlar. Steps and landing are provided with a wrought-iron balustrade. The entrance section is situated under a canopy, provided with a gutter moulding and supported by an ornamental wrought-iron bracket which is attached to the wall on the left. The door opening is relieved above by an iron I-beam provided with rosettes. The beautifully ornamented wooden double door has a fanlight and is situated in a frame with ashlar reveals. The door panels are composed of a solid lower panel and an upper part of profiled diagonal boards, behind which there are panes and wrought-iron grillwork. The RIGHT SIDE FACADE has an unequal arrangement with three windows in each storey. The LEFT SIDE FACADE has a projecting right section in which there is a window as described in each storey, but the window of the second storey has a segmental arch closure. The brickwork below the window of the first storey shows that the window was lower here, likewise the window in the stepped gable has been altered. The recessed left section has on the left a projecting flue that extends above the gutter moulding. In the corner of both sections a non-original steps provide access to two entrances (one in the left facade section, the other in the side facade of the risalit) both provided with panel doors. To the left of the left door is a blind niche, above the door on the second storey a window with fanlight. On the right in the REAR FACADE there are two windows of the type already described in each storey. Across the entire width of the left half of the facade a wooden conservatory has been placed with a masonry base. The conservatory is accessible via stone steps and consists of a wooden superstructure of posts and rails which at the bottom are closed with panels and above have large single-light windows with fanlights separated by vertical glazing bars and filled with simple leaded glass. The conservatory has double doors. The conservatory is finished by a continuous cornice with ornamented brackets. On the second storey a double glass door provides access to the roof of the conservatory, which is surrounded by non-original railings. The layout of the INTERIOR of the villa is largely intact and consists of connecting rooms in the projecting right bay and a corridor with stairwell, former kitchen and dining room in the left bay. On the upper floor there are bedrooms and on the attic floor there is a staff room separated by bead boarding. The rooms no longer have original chimney pieces, but many other interior elements have been preserved including stucco ceilings and a large number of original panelled internal doors with frames. In the conservatory there are pattern tiles, the hall has a fine, continuous (winding) wooden staircase spanning three storeys with slender stairs decorated in Renaissance style and balusters. In the hall there is stucco work on the walls in the form of casements and against the ceiling with laurel leaf ornamented beam brackets.

Valuation

Detached VILLA built in Neo-Renaissance style in 1898

-Of architectural historical value as a sound and good example of a villa of just before 1900, executed in Neo-Renaissance style in which risalits with stepped gables, slate-clad roofs and simple and carefully executed decorative brickwork form the characteristic components. Also notable is the ironwork appearing among other things as facade anchor and balustrade and the beautifully designed front door. The interior layout has been well preserved and still contains some fine elements.

-Of urban planning value as part of the Burgemeester Meslaan, which from around 1900 has been built up with large and small villas and middle-class dwellings and is part of the expansion district between the station and the village of Drumpt. The villa has here, due to the striking main form and the prominent location of the villa at an intersection of streets, a major image-defining role.

-Of cultural historical value as an example of a dwelling for an urban elite that increasingly settled in the expansion districts around 1900. This house is an important expression of this development through its prominent location and rich appearance.