De Museale Hoek
The Museum Corner
History of the school complex
Area
On the southeast side of Limmen is the 'Museum corner', which consists of: the School complex (school and schoolmaster's house), the Protestant Church with cemetery, Ons Huis and the Hortus Bulborum.
Originated
Since the Reformation (after 1573) there was already a municipal public primary school with a schoolmaster's residence here. The school was originally small, made of wood and covered with thatch. The oldest known schoolteacher is Heijndrick Jacobsz. (1600). In 1862 a stone school was built in two phases: first a southern part and in 1884 an identical northern part, together four classrooms. In 1908, both sections were extended with a cross connection to five classrooms. Both parts are built in the traditional architectural style and masonry of hard gray stone in cross bond. The roof is gently sloping, covered with blue hollow tiles.
The house on the south side was also renovated in 1862. The house, built in the traditional architectural style, has a stone gable with protruding roof molding on the south side. The hipped roof is covered with blue hollow tiles. Rooster combs have been made above the French window frames. In the skylight above the door is a cast iron tree of life.
The education
Education was under the authority of the reformed congregation here. Just like the village administration, the teacher had to be from a Reformed family. In addition to teaching, he had to perform various functions for the church as a reader, cantor, sexton, whistleblower, clock winder and gravedigger.
Habitation
The eastern part of the schoolmaster's house of 1862 was set up as a council chamber for the municipality. After the departure of the congregation in 1892 this was added to the living quarters of the head teacher. In 1924, headmaster Pieter Boschman settled here, who meant a lot to agricultural Limmen. He was known far and wide for his agricultural and horticultural courses in the evenings. He was the founder of the flower bulb museum (1932) and the bulb garden "Hortus Bulborum" (1928, officially 1935). He left for Uitgeest in 1936. After occupancy by a number of Limmer families, the eastern space was designated in 2005 as housing for the "Oud Limmen Foundation".
Flower bulb museum
One room in the school was used after 1937 as storage of goods for the flower bulb museum. A consultation office for infants was also established and a shower and bath facility (6 cells) with changing rooms was created. In 1973 the southern part became a fire station and in 1981 the other part served as a rehearsal space for the “Harmonie Excelsior” and the “Drumband Excelsior”. The Flower Bulb Museum has been located in the old fire station since 2013.
History of the church
The Protestant church of Limmen
The oldest mention of a church in Limmen dates from 740 when a "wooden church" was renovated. In 1108 a Romanesque hall church of tuff was built on this spot, while around 1200 a brick tower was added to it. It is the earliest example of a brick tower in North Holland. In 1573, during the 80-year war with the Spaniards, the church was destroyed and fell into the hands of the Reformed. The ± 45 meters long church was reduced to 22½ meters. During the Anglo-Russian, Franco-Batavian war, the building was severely damaged and then renovated in five years. At that time (1798) the municipality of Limmen became the official owner of the church tower and as such was responsible for it. In 1965 the church became a national monument. Major restorations were carried out in 1967/68 and 2000/01.
History of the cemetery
Graveyard, a place for everyone
The church garden and cemetery around the Protestant church have always belonged to the church; first the Roman Catholic and then the Protestant. In 1870, in a contract between the reformed municipality and the civil municipality of Limmen, it was agreed to designate a 400 m² piece of the church garden as a "General cemetery". Since 1970, the entire cemetery has been part of the civil congregation.
A remarkable find was the 11th / 12th century tuff grave with sandstone cover excavated north of the church in 1953. A special burial is Ms J. Haanstra-Visser and her son Jouke who died in March 1945 during the war. To the north of this is a double military war grave of an Englishman and a Canadian with a propeller blade from their Mosquito, which was shot down above the Limmerpolder on September 8, 1944 in the evening.
History of Ons Huis
The inn next to the church
Next to the church is the protestant shelter Ons Huis. It used to be an inn, called St. Cornelis, which in 1818 was called the Eendragt. Council meetings of the municipality of Limmen were already held here in 1834. In 1850, the municipality, together with the polder administration, concluded a lease with the then h