History



THE HOUSE WITH THE SWAN – ANNO 1659
is a merchant house in the style of the Amsterdam canal houses, completely built in 1659 by order of Jan Michaels’ Son called “The Swan”. His name therefore is visualised on the top of the facade. Jan Michaels’ Son died in 1685 a rich man, owning also a country house in the nearby, recently reclaimed, polder ‘The Purmer’.

It is one of the most important houses in the town of Edam, built in the time of Admiral ‘De Ruyter’ and ‘Rembrandt’. The house still contains large parts of its original interior. The complete heavy oak beam frame and wooden floors all date from 1659. Also, the house contains four large chimneys, an inner front with stained glass and an inner gate, both also dating from 1659.

Between 1708 and 1752 the house was used as a silk shop and storage for Amsterdam merchants. In 1753 the lower front changed into its actual appearance. This was done by order of the rich town-organ player ‘Havinga’. Around 1790, the Reverend ‘Vlek’ added his coat of arms above the entrance door.



Both openings above the date stone originally only had small double doors giving access to both upper storage floors. In 1790 or 1832 both doors where replaced by windows. Both these windows have therefore been restored in a different colour and layout. Also, their shutters can be opened much wider than all others.

French windows were placed in approximately 1832 in the lower part of the front (now again replaced) by the public notary ‘Zoutmaat Brugman’, who lived here with his family and also held office from 1832 till 1881.

Restaurations


The house and its interior have been restored in several phases between 1942 and 2006. The house now looks like in the last decade of the 18th century and Napoleonic period. The exact colours of that time are not known, so present colours of the upper part are 17th century, the lower part are 18th century.


1942-1947

A.A. Kok

Entire back facade and part of the construction shell

1988-1989
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N. Boschma
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Entire construction sheel and foundation of the front facade

1997-1999

H. vd Ende & B. de Jong

Entire interior

2006

H. vd Ende & B. de Jong

Front facade (cross frames; shutters; rods bottom windows)

2017

J. vd Ende & Huiberts

Major maintenance back facade, chimneys and roof



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