Notable Buildings
In 2009, Voorschoten had 67 municipal monuments and 54 national monuments. Below you will find information about a number of beautiful historic buildings in the municipality of Voorschoten.
The Silver Factory
Well into the 20th century, the village was well known for its silver industry. The Van Kempen and Begeer Silver Factory was built in 1858 in an eclectic-classical style. The iron entrance gate is Art Nouveau. The building remained in operation as a silver factory until 1984. After a thorough renovation based on a design by American architects Robert Stern and Graham Wyatt, the company Mexx was established here, though it moved to Amsterdam in 2008. Only the imposing, very wide facade remains authentic; behind it lies a modern building.
The Village Church
The Dorpskerk has had a number of predecessors, the first of which dates back to the 12th century. In 1868, the current church—the fourth to stand on this site—was completed in the English Neo-Gothic style. The church was restored between 1955 and 1958, though some of those changes were reversed during the interior restoration in 2000 (the ceiling and supporting structure are now visible, and the windows are fully exposed). The Dorpskerk houses an organ originally built by Jacobus Zeemans of Breda. This instrument, which was put into use in 1720, has since been modified and restored several times. In addition to church services, the Dorpskerk hosts cultural events (concerts, theater, cabaret, and literary events).
Duivenvoorde Castle
Duivenvoorde Castle is located on the southern edge of Voorschoten. It has been privately owned since 1226, and ownership has changed through inheritance over the years. The last owner, Ludolphine Henriette, Baroness Schimmelpenninck van der Oye, transferred the estate, the house, and its contents to a foundation. Apart from the former residential section, the castle is open to the public as a museum.
Ter Wadding
Ter Wadding, located at Leidseweg 557, is a country house that dates to around 1770 in its current form and features Rococo influences. An earlier structure was referred to as a “huizinge” (1687) or “hofstede” (1716). The house was built on a site that was already referred to as “ter wadding”—meaning “ford”—as early as 866. It is possible that, from the beach ridge on which Voorschoten is built, one could cross the Oude Rijn at this point. The Provincial Water Board used Ter Wadding as an office.
Bijdorp
Bijdorp became an estate in 1634. Prior to that, a farmstead had stood on the same site, which was owned in the sixteenth century by rider Jacob Oem van Wijngaarden. In 1875, the estate became the property of the Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of Saint Catherine of Siena, female followers of Saint Dominic. They converted the country estate into a convent and, in 1895, added a small cruciform church in the Neo-Gothic style to the complex. The sisters provided education—at the Roman Catholic Institute of Our Lady of Lourdes—and the boarding school housed young ladies of high social standing who came to receive a refined and religious education.
St. Lawrence Church
Just north of the village center stands St. Laurentius Church, a Neo-Gothic pseudo-basilica with a 45-meter-high tower, designed by architect Th. Asseler (1823–1879) and built between 1865 and 1868. St. Laurentius Church has been a National Historic Landmark since 1976.
Guild and Bailiff's House
The Baljuwhuis is the 17th-century residence of the bailiff (and later the mayor), featuring straight cornices and natural stone bands between the masonry. It forms a single unit (with a shared entrance) with the Ambachtshuis, the guild hall, which features a stepped gable dating from 1635. This building on Voorstraat is used as a restaurant, museum, and wedding venue.
Berbice
Berbice is a country estate featuring a manor house dating from 1669, which was later expanded to include, among other things, an orangery and distinctive garden walls. Building garden walls was a popular practice in the 18th century for growing fruit crops that were not actually suited to the Dutch climate.
Spirit of the People
In 1369, the Almansgeest farm stood on this same site; around 1750, the name changed to Allemansgeest. In 1829, the country house was renamed Berbice, after the Dutch colony of Berbice in what is now Guyana.
Beresteyn
Beresteyn is a country house in the southwestern part of Berbice that was sold to Jonkheer Hugo van Beresteyn in 1828. In 1893, Beresteyn was sold and became the “Wullings Institute,” an upscale boys’ boarding school with a high school program. The house was then given a new facade and expanded. During World War II, the institute was closed. After the war, Beresteyn became a seminary and monastery for the Capuchin Fathers, and in 1954 it was transferred to the Montfortian Fathers. After their departure in May 2001, the house provided accommodation for various foundations, artists, and foreign workers.
City Hall
In 1925, the town hall—which included a school, a gymnasium, and a caretaker’s residence—was designed by The Hague architect W. Verschoor to surround an inner courtyard. Verschoor built many large apartment complexes, such as Huize Boszicht on Benoordenhoutseweg in The Hague. The wood paneling in the reception hall at Boszicht and the Council Chamber in Voorschoten are virtually identical. The gymnasium has since been demolished and replaced by an extension to the town hall.
