Zeilenmakerspad 1

The former Westzaan mayor’s residence, with the municipal coat of arms still displayed above the door… The house at Zeilenmakerspad 1, originally from Westzaan where it was built in 1734, was once the mayor’s residence. To the side is the extension with its decorative bell gable. This was known as a ‘luchthuis’ (a kind of garden house) or ‘goedjaarsend’ (literally ‘good year’s end’). These were common terms for an addition to an existing home and stem from the habit of businessmen in the Zaan region of renovating and extending their homes after a profitable year.

Above the door of the mayor’s residence, the ‘deurkalf’ (‘transom’) still bears the coat of arms of the Westzaan ‘banne’ (‘jurisdiction’). The transom is a supporting beam above the front door that bears the weight of the gable. The house numbering system was only introduced in the Netherlands by Napoleon at the turn of the 19th century. Up until then, houses in the Zaan region were decorated with painted or carved wooden symbols that provided information about the residents, such as their profession or their name. The transom was often used for this purpose.
The house was originally located on Zeilenmakerspad in Westzaan, which was named after a sailmaker who lived there. The same ‘padnaam’ (‘street name’) was adopted for the lane in the Zaanse Schans on which the property now stands. The house underwent substantial renovations during the 19th century, particularly during the period in which it served as the premises for a printing company. When the printing company expanded its operations and vacated the building, it was relocated to the Zaanse Schans. The subsequent restoration works returned the house to its former 18th century condition, with color research even restoring the rooms to their original colors.

The Westzaan mayor’s house in its original location at Zeilenmakerspad 6 in Westzaan