The garden no longer exists. The first retirement homes in Meppel were built on it after the hospital was closed. It was given the name ‘t Hofje. And that still exists. Rick Jakobs looks around a bit disappointed. He just thinks it looks a bit ugly these days. “We have the first hospital, these were the first retirement homes and apparently we invented prism plates after that.” He points to the houses. The facades have been covered with prismatic plates since the last renovation years ago, and those plates are again covered with screws. Jacobs is disgusted. “We are on historic ground here. Such a shame. Restore it to its former glory. It will probably take a day to remove all the screws,” he calls.
Around the 1920s, there were calls to build a new hospital in Meppel. The city hospital has already undergone several renovations. In 1927, a year after the hospital in Havenstraat was connected to the electricity grid, the municipality announced that it no longer wanted to make any changes. She wants a new one.
On April 22, 1937, that new hospital was opened: the Diaconessenhuis. Until last year it still functioned as a hospital. Now Isala is in a brand new hospital, opposite the Diaconessenhuis.
Owners Inge Reinders and Dick Beelen are now also leaving the city hospital. Although that will probably take a while. “We really don’t have to leave here in a minute,” says Beelen. They go to Wilhelmina Park, where he already has a house.
There is already interest in the property. On Saturday, the two will open the house for interested parties to come and have a look. “We want the house to end up in good hands,” the two say. “That certainly plays a role,” admits Beelen. “You have to have a feeling about it”, Reinders adds. “And you have to want to live in the city. You pretty much live here under the Meppeler tower. But I don’t hear that anymore. I’m completely used to that.”