The church dates from 1926 and was designed in Amsterdam style by architect Albert H. Kleinenberg, commissioned by the Dutch Protestantenbond. Due to aging, the number of members of this movement fell sharply, and on 1 September 2002 the last church service was held at Kerkstraat 9. In the following years, the building had several owners and destinations, such as a thrift store and a studio.
Thanks to a subsidy from the province, Damen was able to thoroughly restore the church. Not only the interior, but also the building itself received a lot of attention. With great pleasure, he and his wife traveled to Musselkanaal in recent years in recent years to enjoy the peace and the special atmosphere of their church. Nevertheless, they decided this year to sell the property.
“I have a house and a warehouse in Tilburg. And in Hilvarenbeek we bought a former museum where we are going to start something new. With this church there it just became too much,” explains Damen. “You also have to keep all those houses clean. All in all, that is just a lot of work.”
The church is a hit on Funda. Yet that has not yet led to viewers. “No, there are many questions, but not yet viewings. You have to love it.” Damen does not mind that. “We have already planned the holiday here. I have sold my house, so the pressure is off the boiler. If we can’t sell it, I will just keep it myself.”