Groot Schovenhorst

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

COUNTRY HOUSE 'Groot Schovenhorst', with IRONWORK GATES, built in 1876 to the design of an as yet unknown Utrecht architect on the commission of Mr. J.H. Schober. The house is situated on the Schovenhorst estate, which lies to the east of the built-up area of Putten and is divided over 180 hectares on either side of the Garderenseweg. Schober, an advocate and industrialist from Utrecht, purchased wasteland here in 1848 with the intention of reclaiming it. He cultivated trees here for production forestry. In addition, he conducted small-scale experiments with agricultural products. Schober's efforts led, among other things, to the establishment of the State Forest Service. The estate grew into an internationally renowned tree collection and currently consists of two pinetums (1848 and 1901), an arboretum (1938) and a three continents forest (1966). The estate is protected under the Natural Beauty Preservation Act.

The finely detailed COUNTRY HOUSE was built on the south-west side of the Garderenseweg for Schober himself, and displays characteristics of Neo-Classicism. The building is completely rendered, and features projecting risalits with pointed gables. Paint traces suggest that the facades originally had a pink tint.

The house stands diagonally opposite the chalet 'Klein Schovenhorst' situated on the opposite side of the road and is surrounded by a park-like garden, with a rhododendron island in front of the entrance, a gravel path and a meadow on the left side. The garden extends into the surrounding woodland. The garden is bounded at the road side by wrought-iron IRONWORK GATES with double swing gates to which name plates reading 'Groot Schovenhorst' are affixed.

The house has been largely well-preserved both inside and out. On the left side gable, however, the last bay contains a discordant window that was added later. The acroteria that originally adorned the pointed gables have been lost.

Description

Detached, partially basement country house with a complex ground plan, consisting of a rectangular main volume with projecting risalits on three facades that are terminated with pointed gables. The building is two storeys and an attic storey high, covered with a complex roof of interlocking gently sloping gabled roofs. The overhanging roof edges are covered with asbestos slate in a diamond pattern. On the roof there are three rendered chimneys. Drainage of the building takes place via profiled gutters on profiled consoles. The asymmetrically arranged facades are completely rendered and feature a sandstone plinth with a splay. Profiled rendered and sandstone drip mouldings and friezes run across the facades, and the facades are articulated vertically by corner pilasters and lisenes. The openings in the facades have rendered frames. The lisenes and corner pilasters are executed in ashlar bond over the first storey and feature a basement in the plinth, provided with a diamond head. The facades are predominantly fitted with single-sash windows (first storey) and casement windows (upper storey) beneath single fanlights. The window frames are painted black as are the woodwork of shutters and verandas. The asymmetrically arranged FRONT FACADE (facing the Garderenseweg) consists of a projecting right section terminated with a pointed gable and a recessed straight-topped left section. In the plinth of the right section casements are cut out to the width of the window above. Between the storeys the corner pilasters are interrupted by a cordon and drip moulding. The facade is concluded below the roof overhang by a frieze that follows the roof line. The first storey features coupled windows as described, surrounded by a slender profiled frame that is concluded at the top by a segmental arch with a carved crest. At the level of the fanlights, ears are incorporated into the frame. The central mullion is provided with casements. The second storey has coupled windows with round-arched fanlights, which are set beneath a joint arch frame with ornamented springers and a crest-like crown in which a head is worked. The windows are separated by a central mullion in the form of a small column. In the left side gable of the risalit there is a window on the first and second storey. The left gable section has a veranda spanning the full width and height of the first storey. The veranda is built up from a sandstone base laid with paving, and wooden posts connected to each other by means of wooden arches and supporting a glazed roof. Access to the terrace is provided by two pairs of double glazed doors beneath single fanlights. The glazed doors are fitted with hinged shutters. The second storey contains two square-topped windows with casement windows beneath single fanlights. Above these windows runs a drip moulding which is raised above the windows, creating a kind of continuous arched frieze. The RIGHT SIDE FACADE has a risalit to the right of centre with a virtually identical layout and detailing to that of the front facade. The name 'Schovenhorst' is worked into the renderwork between the windows. The right side gable of this risalit is blank, the left side gable contains a window on each storey. To the right of this risalit there is a recessed, clearly less representative blank section with two soberly detailed windows at the corner and a toilet window to the right of it. The recessed left section has three bays and has drip mouldings and friezes as in the front facade. The window openings on the first storey are fitted with a segmental arch frame with carved crest work in which heads are again worked. On the upper storey the frames are comparable to the front facade. At the corner with the risalit the main entrance is located here with a sandstone step. The front door has a frame with corner pilasters and a keystone with carved crest work and a fanlight with non-original ironwork. On the left there is a bell-pull. The wooden double panelled door has a solid lower panel, a cast-iron panel and an oeil de boeuf in wood at the top. On the upper storey there is a square-topped window in the same vertical axis. The two remaining bays are filled with two blind recesses (right bay) and two windows. The blind recesses are filled with an incised diamond pattern. The LEFT SIDE FACADE has a projecting section on the right and a wider recessed section on the left. The first and second storey of the risalit each have two windows as described. In the point of the gable there is an oeil de boeuf. The left gable section has a two-bay wide veranda at the corner with the risalit as in the front facade. Access to this is again provided by two double glazed doors with shutters. On the upper storey there are two casement windows as described. The third bay is surrounded on either side by lisenes and contains a soberly framed window with venetian blinds on the first storey. At the level of the mezzanine a window is located above this. This gable section was presumably extended at some time. The soberly detailed REAR FACADE contains two staff entrances and three sash windows with shutters in the first storey, beneath a shared decorative moulding that is carried up above the windows. On the second storey there is a coupled window in the centre, flanked by two windows. Above the windows is a similar termination as on the first storey. At attic level in the centre there is a window flanked by smaller, virtually square windows. The layout of the INTERIOR has remained virtually completely intact. The ground floor is arranged with a residential section with a hallway that gives access to a number of living and working rooms, including connecting rooms on the east. In the south there is, among other things, the former kitchen and scullery with service entrances. The staircase in the hall gives access to two storeys with intermediate landings, where bedrooms are located, some with a wooden fireplace. On the attic a servants' bedroom has been preserved, furnished with two bed-boxes. Among the preserved interior components are richly executed decorative plaster ceilings in the hallway and living rooms, which are painted. Also a painted ceiling in the bathroom on the upper storey. The toilets and the former kitchen are fitted with wall tiling. The connecting rooms feature marble fireplaces with surround panels that are provided with egg-and-dart moulding at the transition to the ceiling. Access upstairs is formed by a spaciously designed wooden staircase with iron railings. On the south side there is always an intermediate storey. All windows of the first storey have internal shutters. All original doors with their frames are still in place. The former kitchen still has an internal china cabinet, a countertop with wooden cupboards and a marble work surface, a sink with pump, a hearth, the remains of the original tiling (with meander border tiles) and a tiled floor. In the hallway the original marble has been replaced with new marble tiles. However, the original marble plinths and bases are still present.

At the road side the garden is bounded by wrought-iron IRONWORK GATES with double swing gates to which name plates reading "Groot Schovenhorst" are affixed.

Valuation

COUNTRY HOUSE 'Groot Schovenhorst' built in 1876 with IRONWORK GATES

- Of architectural historical value as a well-preserved and good example of a country house in Neo-Classical style from the fourth quarter of the nineteenth century, which stands out for its high-quality aesthetic qualities in interior and exterior such as fine proportions in the main form and facade arrangement, and the detailing with elegant Classical motifs. The interior is well-preserved and contains many valuable components, such as decorative plaster ceilings and marble chimneypieces.

- Of urban planning value as a characteristic component of the historically developed area along the Garderenseweg, whose character is largely determined by the Schovenhorst estate present here. The building plays an important visual-defining role here in conjunction with the forest plots and the historical buildings.

- Of cultural-historical value as part of the Schovenhorst estate, which is a distinctive expression of the history of Dutch forestry and of the reclamation of the Veluwe in particular.