Kerkstraat 15

Overview

Kerkstraat 15 in Aalten is a substantial house dating from around 1860, built for textile manufacturer Eduard Driessen (1824–1895). From 1924 it housed the Boerenleenbank and later a pharmacy. It is now a private residence. Before the present house was built, the site contained a Roman Catholic parsonage and a barn church.

Until the Protestant Reformation around 1597, Roman Catholics worshipped in the Old St Helena’s Church on Markt. After the Reformation they went to the Cross Chapel at Hemden, just across the border in the Prince-Bishopric of Münster.

From 1790 Roman Catholics were again permitted to practise their faith openly in Aalten. Bernard Meierman made part of his home available for worship; that house later became known as the Reigershuis. The parish priest of the Cross Chapel came to Aalten on Sundays and feast days to celebrate Mass and administer the sacraments to Catholics from Aalten and Bredevoort.

Roman Catholic parsonage and barn church (1800–1859)

Churchwarden Lambertus Wamelink bought a house and barn on the site of present-day Kerkstraat 15. The house became the parsonage and the barn was converted into a church, which was consecrated on 5 July 1800.

Father Korten served there until 1804. He was followed by Father Smits from the convent in Bocholt, who was recalled in July 1812, and by several other clergy. On 12 October 1812 G.H.J. Wansing became parish priest; he served the parish for more than 38 years. P. van Roggen became acting parish priest on 20 May 1851 and was formally appointed on 22 June.

The church eventually became too small. During the St Nicholas market, worshippers sometimes had to remain outside in bitter cold. A site was acquired at the beginning of Dijkstraat, where a new government-funded church was built and brought into use on 4 May 1859.

Demolition and construction of the town house

The old church and house were sold to manufacturer Eduard Driessen. The old house was demolished and replaced by the large town house that still stands today; the former barn church was retained and can still be seen from ‘t Lage Blik.

During construction, thirteen unique sixteenth-century Stations of the Cross were discovered, laid face-down as a kitchen floor. Driessen donated them in 1870 to the archdiocesan museum in Utrecht. They are now held by Museum Catharijneconvent.

From 1924 the building housed the Boerenleenbank. It was later used as a pharmacy and is now a private residence.

Residents

1813

Aalten 16

Church, house and garden (‘De romsche Kerk’)

Gerhard Hendrik Joseph Wansink (Vreden, Germany, 17 March 1772), Roman Catholic parish priest

1 man
1 mother

Population Register 1823-1838

Gerhard Henrich Joseph Wansing (Vreden, Germany, 17 March 1772), Roman Catholic parish priest

Population Register 1838-1850

Gerhard Henrich Joseph Wansing (Vreden, Germany, 17 March 1772), Roman Catholic parish priest

Population Register 1850-1860

Gerhard Henrich Joseph Wansing (Vreden, Germany, 17 March 1772), Roman Catholic parish priest

Subsequent resident:

Paulus van Roggen (Bemmel, 1814), parish priest

Subsequent residents:

Bernard Eduard Johan Driessen (Bocholt, 15 September 1824), manufacturer
married (1) on 23 February 1853 in Aalten to
Anna Carolina Schmier (Leiden, 31 July 1825)

Population Register 1860-1870

Bernard Eduard Johan Driessen (Bocholt, 15 September 1824), manufacturer
Anna Carolina Schmier (Leiden, 31 July 1825)

Population Register 1870-1880

Bernard Eduard Johan Driessen (Bocholt, 15 September 1824), manufacturer
Anna Carolina Schmier (Leiden, 31 July 1825)

Population Register 1880-1890

Bernard Eduard Johan Driessen (Bocholt, 15 September 1824), manufacturer
Anna Amalia Gertrudis Rump (Bocholt, 14 April 1837), second wife

Population Register 1890-1900

Bernard Eduard Johan Driessen (Bocholt, 15 September 1824), alderman
Anna Amalia Gertrudis Rump (Bocholt, 14 April 1837)

Population Register 1900-1910

Anna Amalia Gertrudis Rump (Bocholt, 14 April 1837)

Population Register 1910-1920

Anna Amalia Gertrudis Rump (Bocholt, 14 April 1837)

Population Register 1920-1930

Aalten D693

Herman Lambertus Obbink (Lintelo, 9 February 1894)

Address Book 1934

Address Book 1967

Owners

This overview is incomplete.

* ‘amotie’ = demolition

Images