‘De Beschuitmand’ (The Rusk Basket), a building with a cast iron tree of life ornament… Kalverringdijk 9 (pictured left) is a unique house composed of two buildings from Zaandam that had to be relocated to make way for road construction for the Beatrix Bridge. Since both buildings were too small for separate use as contemporary homes, they were joined together and rebuilt to create a single residence. The result is an attractive home with two rooms and a kitchen on the first floor, and two bedrooms upstairs. The property is immediately recognizable due to its sleek facade and the stone bearing walls in the front house, which are typical of the 19th-century architectural style. Another eye-catching feature is the rather plain bell gable, the cast iron tree of life ornament in the fan light and the stone base facade as a sign of affluence. Although the rear house originated from Koog aan de Zaan, the whole building was known as the ‘Beschuitmand’ in Zaandam. The combining of these buildings resulted in a characterful home with an interesting history. The house is painted in high-gloss paint, which was invented around 1830.

The ‘Beschuitmand’ at Oostzijde 8 in Zaandam