De Leemkuil

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

Former COUNTRY HOUSE, ('HUIZE DE LEEMKUIL'), built by architect C.G.M. Nieraad from Arnhem, in 1909 in eclectic style. The client was Mr Helenus Ingerman. A few years after construction the house was sold following the early death of the first occupant. With the new owner the function of the building also changed and the country house was converted into a luxury hotel. But soon business stagnated, making a sale necessary. This changed the function once again. From circa 1924 a recovery home (for civil servants from Amsterdam) was established there. Since the early nineties of the twentieth century, it has been in use as an asylum seeker centre with some extensions of outbuildings.

The house stands in the midst of an extensive garden planted with large trees and is separated from the Keyenbergseweg by a fence at the front. The garden layout and fencing, as well as the modern extensions connected by an intermediate section on the left and rear side, do not fall under protection.

Description

The country house is laid out on a composite ground plan and faces the road with its southern front facade. The main body, consisting of two storeys and an attic storey (under a hipped roof covered with slate in Maas bond), is extended at the rear with a two-storey extension under a flat roof. The building has facades built in brick (English bond) above an all-round sash window terminated by a roll moulding, natural stone detailing, two bay windows, a veranda and a south-western corner tower above an internal porch. The facades are architecturally articulated by single or double white brick decorative sills at the height of the window transoms and lintels and are terminated below the cornice by an equally continuous roll moulding. Only in the main body does a decorative sill also connect the drip mouldings of the windows. Most of the windows in the main body have casements; the rear side features mainly three-light windows. Noteworthy are the preserved stained-glass windows in almost all the fanlights. The windows all rest on natural stone sills, have in the ground floor of the front and left side facade a natural stone worked lintel and are provided on the attic storey in the 1½ brick width above the windows with setting stones in the same material. In the porch and the overlying balcony the components such as columns, balusters, lintels and arch elements are likewise of natural stone. The open tower articulation under the zinc bell roof with weathervane is executed in wood. A bakgout carried by carved wooden corbels under a plastered frieze provides the drainage of rainwater in the main body. In the two-storey extension the bakgout is supported by carved blocks. In the roof planes there are flat-topped and sloped roof dormers with casements or four coupled casement windows. Only two roof dormers on the front at the corners are covered by a zinc cupola roof with finial. The south-facing FRONT FACADE contains five window bays and is symmetrically arranged by a broad round bay window in the central axis of the facade. A balcony with double doors adjoins the bay window and a narrow window on each side. In the roof plane above this there is a roof dormer with four coupled windows; to the left and right the aforementioned roof dormers with cupola roof. The corner tower on the left steps back slightly with respect to the facade. The porch leads via a stone step to the glazed panel front door. To the right of the step there is a facade stone: 'FIRST STONE LAID / BY / ANNA INGERMAN / AGED 13 YEARS / HUIZE LEEMKUIL / 3 JULY 1909'. The landing is provided with terrazzo and is spanned by barrel vaults with red and yellow brick masonry. The front and left side with balustrade (balusters), are terminated by a round arch consisting of three rows of stretcher bond with natural stone setting and closure stones. The corner column and the wall piers on which the arches rest are worked. The internal balcony is terminated on the front and left side by a natural stone worked lintel which in the middle of the arch opening halfway up the balustrade is supported by a natural stone column. The lintel rests, unlike the situation on the ground floor, on a masoned corner column and on a masoned wall pier. The balcony is roofed over by an identical barrel vault as in the porch. The third articulation of the tower is, as previously stated, open and divided into three by wooden posts on each side. A bell roof with slate forms the crown.

The LEFT SIDE FACADE consists on the left of the lower and recessed extension with three window bays, of which the two left ones on the ground floor have been altered by the placement of the intermediate section towards the new building. The fanlights are divided by glazing bars or not. The left side of the main body ends in a stepped gable which rises above the extension and in the apex of which is a casement. The right side, which forms the side facade of the main body, contains centre-left of two windows casement doors which once adjoined a veranda, of which only the stone plinth and likewise step on a masoned base wall now remain. On the attic storey only above the two windows identical windows appear. The right side of the facade consisting of a slightly projecting wall plane contains above the standard window in the first storey a narrower variant of the window. Separated by a blank wall plane there is entirely to the right the aforementioned left side of the corner tower. In the roof plane there is a roof dormer with four windows as also occurs in the front facade.

The REAR FACADE is characterised by the lower extension on the right against the facade and in the main body the offset of wall planes, the placement of three-light windows at unequal heights whereby elements resembling Flemish gables cut into the roof, creating an unbalanced appearance. Against the rear of the extension an intermediate section adjoins with to the right of it an undivided window with a drop window fanlight. For the rest this side is executed blank. The left side contains in the corner with the main body a projecting flat-roofed porch with glazed panel door and sidelight. The recessed wall plane with paired casement windows above a stair to the cellar, contains on the second storey a three-light window. The right side of the extension contains above the modern door with fanlight a standard casement. To the right of the door is a half-brick flat-roofed extension present with casement doors on the front. The rear of the main body has on the left one above the other two three-light windows under a roll moulding, whereby in the larger window on the ground floor the stained-glass windows in the fanlights are missing. At the location of the bakgout and flanked by set-up pieces rising from the masonry a sloped roof dormer is placed. To the right is in the corner with the previously described flat-roofed porch a wall plane with on the ground floor a glazed door. Above this is the staircase with per storey a three-light window whereby the upper window cuts into the roof and to the left and right a set-up piece rises above the sloped roof projection. In the middle of the facade is a built-up chimney placed. To the right of it a roof dormer is still just visible.

The RIGHT SIDE FACADE is dominated by a large wooden bay window resting on a base wall on a 5/8 base. The four window bays contain divided large windows; only the front contains a three-part division in which in the middle a pair of casement doors opens outward with sidelights. With the exception of the window bay on the front which has seven fanlights (stained-glass windows), the remaining window bays have four of which some are executed as drop windows. The roof overhang is supported by carved blocks. On the flat roof a pair of balcony doors on each side adjoins the original balcony. Between both doors are three coupled stained-glass windows. In the roof plane there is a sloped and flat-roofed roof dormer with four coupled windows.

The INTERIOR is notable for its high degree of integrity, with original interior components having been preserved. The hall, which among other things is equipped with a tile wainscot, possesses relief floor tiles, a vestibule wall with cut glass, richly carved corbel sets and a tiled wooden fireplace mantel on marble feet. In the hall and landing as well as in some rooms a decorated stucco ceiling occurs (under sometimes lowered ceilings which are easy to remove). The broad door frames are present like the panel doors and balustrade of the stair in the hall but carefully boarded up. The en suite room is likewise intact and possesses cut glass. From two rooms a passage via sliding doors leads to the large bay window which possesses a wooden wainscot. The extensive cellar possesses a barrel vault.

Valuation

COUNTRY HOUSE built in 1909 in eclectic style

- Of architectural historical interest as an example of a villa around 1900 well and substantially preserved in both interior and exterior. Despite the various changed uses the building features a well-preserved and richly executed interior with floor tiles, fireplaces and wainscots. The building stands out besides for its two bay windows, among other things through its fine corner tower above the porch, subtle detailing in the facades and many well-preserved stained-glass windows.

- Of urban planning interest because of its location in a wooded environment just outside the centre of Wageningen.

- Of cultural historical interest as a recognisable element of a social development as an example of housing for a new monied elite which preferred to settle outside the city in an environment with much natural beauty.