The Regthuysje in Schermerhorn has had a complete metamorphosis. This week the finishing touches to the monumental building from 1766. 75-year-old Chris van der Spank from Westbeemster is proud of the end result, but also emotional about the fact that her husband Jaap can no longer attend the festive opening on 15 May. to make. “It was my husband’s dream to refurbish the house, so I finished it for him.”
The love for restoring old buildings started for Chris and her husband Jaap with a dilapidated bell jar in Westbeemster. “Actually, only the outer walls were still standing,” she tells NH Nieuws about the farm where she still lives. “We have completely built it up inside and furnished it as it used to look.”
The couple got a taste for it and more monumental buildings followed, which were restored with a great sense of authenticity. Since there was opposition from municipalities in previous projects, Chris was done with it at a certain point. Yet there was one more project: the white house in Schermerhorn.
Secretly
“He actually did it a bit secretly,” Chris says with a laugh. “At a certain point, Jaap had to go to Schermerhorn and then I actually smelled danger. When he came back he had a big smile on his face and then I already knew what time it was.”
However, in March 2020, Jaap passed away, leaving Chris suddenly on his own. Yet she persevered with the project, it was her husband’s last wish. “He would have loved this. He knew he was going to die and told me to finish it. I didn’t know what he meant at first, but now I know.”
Chris van der Spank is very proud of the result, NH Nieuws was given a tour (text continues below the video)
Regthuysje Schermerhorn restored to its former glory: “I finished it for Jaap” – NH Nieuws
An enormous amount of work has been done to restore the Regthuysje to its former glory. Chris has delved into the history of the property and that was not too easy, because there is not much about it in the archives. “We do know that justice was administered here, so we made his consulting room downstairs, his living room on the first floor and his bedroom in the attic.”
Heritage to the village
All the old stuff to furnish the house was quickly available. Over time Chris and Jaap have collected quite a few antiques. “My house is still full, I think I can still furnish a house with everything we have collected, but this is really my last project† That’s what the carpenter thinks too, haha.”
The Regthuysje will be festively opened on 15 May and everyone can take a look. According to Chris, the villagers are happy that the Regthuysje now shines like never before. “I get a lot of nice reactions from people who think it’s very beautiful, which is heartwarming.” It doesn’t bother her that she put so much money into it. “I see it as my legacy to the village, but I mainly did it for Jaap. We like to save things for the future so that people can see how people lived in the past. It is very rewarding work and I am proud of that.”
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