‘Trash & Treasures’ – Antique Shop ‘Het Jagershuis’
The oldest of the houses in the Zaanse Schans, formerly inhabited by the Jager family…
Built in 1623, ‘Het Jagershuis’ (‘The Hunter’s House’) at Zeilenmakerspad 2 is the oldest house in the Zaanse Schans. At its former location on Jagerspad in Zaandam, it operated as a lumberyard until 1956. The house is named after Claes Jager, a lumber merchant and sawyer who was literally breezing along with his three paltrok mills: De Groene Jager, De Rode Jager and De Jonge Jager (The Green, Red and Young ‘Jager’, meaning hunter, respectively). With its historical architecture and beautiful Gothic period details, ‘Het Jagershuis’ is a unique feature of the Zaanse Schans. The eye-catching crown post atop the gable of the house features ‘kerfsnitversiering’ (decorative wood carving), and the stained glass windows around the door, also in Gothic style, come from a Westzaan church. In the garden behind the house, there is a well made from IJssel ‘klinkers’ (paving stones), which belonged to the original house. The ‘oldest’ house dates back to a time when the paint industry was still in its infancy, and tarring was the main method for protecting wood (just as in ships). Before the familiar green, high-gloss paint came onto the scene, many types of ‘teer’ (tar) were used instead, such as coal tar, carbolineum and Stockholm tar. This is the reason that the house is entirely black in color.
The building has already been in use as an antique shop for quite some time, so ‘Trash & Treasures’ at Het Jagershuis offers something special for everyone. Whether you’re a keen collector or just looking for a nice memento to take home with you, it’s the perfect place to find a unique souvenir… ‘Trash & Treasures’ is more than just a shop; it’s an opportunity to travel back in time, and to experience and appreciate history.
The photo on the left was taken for the newspaper in the early 1960s when the Jagershuis was due to be relocated to the Zaanse Schans