Woonhuis, Molenstraat 35

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 the town of Woudrichem, on the south side of the Molenstraat near a bend in the Rijkswal, stands a GENTLEMAN'S HOUSE with a cornice-topped facade. The detached building stands with its front facade facing the street, is separated from the neighbouring property by a fire passage and has a deep rear garden which is accessible from the street through ironwork gates. The facade stone records 30 May 1850 as the date of the first stone-laying. The residential house is known as 'the old parsonage' and was built on behalf of the Nederduitsche Hervormde Kerk using - explicitly stipulated by them - reused material from the then-demolished parsonage. The upper chamber with basement cellaring probably dates from this older building. The house lies at the edge of Woudrichem and, through its dimensions and sober execution of the front facade, has a distinguished character. It exhibits features of Neo-Classicism. Later alterations include two double segmental-arched windows in rectangular frames in the western side wall and a composite dormer with flat roof on the rear. Internally, the house has scarcely been modernized.

Description.

The partly cellared residential house has a square ground plan. The building has two storeys and an attic storey beneath a composite roof laid with red improved Dutch tiles. Two gabled roofs with hip adjoin the hipped roof at the rear at right angles. Four chimneys on the roof where the corner rafter and ridge meet. On three facades list gutters on carved consoles; on the front facade above a continuous frieze lies a moulded cornice. Above this two dormers with flat roofs with carved wings and four-paned windows. Central in the front pitch and in one of the rear pitches a roof light. In the south-eastern pitch the aforementioned dormer. The front and rear facades are built in headers of dark brickwork with thin joints. The side facades are whitewashed and have, like the rear facade, double rows of rod wall anchors. In the symmetrical five-bay-wide front facade lies centrally the entrance with a double panelled door and two-light fanlight with wooden framing of pilasters with cornice. Figural door knocker. Directly above the door the facade stone noting the date of the first stone-laying and the names of the mayor and church wardens. Nine tall six-paned sash windows with natural stone sill are closed with bars and fitted on the inside with folding shutters. In the eastern side wall, at the height of the landing, lies a six-paned sash window; in the western wall the aforementioned double windows on the storey above the front corner room and on the ground floor in the rear corner room. On this side, an unplastered wall section shows irregular brickwork of larger format. The rear facade has the same symmetrical arrangement and type of windows as the front facade. To the left of the flat rear door with two-light fanlight lie two rear doors, to the right a square wc window next to the single kitchen window. Along the rear of the house runs a wide terrace. Internally, the building has retained its original arrangement with central corridor and rooms on either side. After the entrance with vestibule, the glazed vestibule door in a likewise glazed frame gives access to the corridor, laid with black marble tiles. To the right lies the through-room with leaded glass sliding doors. To the left lie the upper chamber, two steps higher, with beam ceiling and wooden fireplace, the stairwell with double flight stairs, and the kitchen with fireplace, wainscoting, light tile cladding and a cupboard wall with panelled doors. In this cupboard wall lies centrally the door to the segmental-arch vaulted cellar with cellar light in the front facade. On the upper storey lie study and bedrooms on either side of the central corridor. A rear room is fitted as a bathroom without disturbing the structure. The attic storey, where two servants' rooms are partitioned off, is otherwise unlined, so that the rafters of the composite roof are visible.

Of the interior, the following are noteworthy: the black marble corridor floor and the floral stucco decoration around the light opening; the corner rosettes in the vestibule frame; in the main living rooms the marble fireplaces above which fluted small columns with capitals and entablatures which in the front room are in original condition, in the rear room are restored; the folding shutters; leaded glass sliding doors; upper chamber with beam ceiling and small wooden fireplace; vaulted cellar; kitchen with large fireplace, wainscoting and kitchen block. Furthermore, all panelled doors are original.

Valuation.

The building is of general importance. It has cultural-historical value as a Nederduitsche Hervormde parsonage and as an example of the development of the typology of the gentleman's house. It has architectural-historical value due to the sober but high-quality aesthetic quality of the exterior in relation to the well-preserved interior, which is further significant for the history of the historical domestic interior. It has ensemble value as the last building on the Molenstraat, where it stands diagonally opposite the doctor's house and with its deep garden contributes to the rural character of the Rijkswal. The residential house has been preserved in exceptionally good condition both externally and internally and as such is extremely rare.