Noorderkerk

Noorderkerk is a church located in the city of Hoorn, Netherlands. The church dates back to the 14th century and is one of the oldest buildings in Hoorn.

The church was built in stages over the centuries, with the earliest part of the building being constructed around 1300. The tower was added in the 15th century, and the nave was rebuilt in the 17th century.

Architecture

• A mix of Gothic and Renaissance styles
• A distinctive tower that rises above the surrounding buildings

The church's exterior walls are constructed from red brick, while the interior features ornate stone carvings and wooden furnishings.

History

1. In 1426, a wooden chapel was built on the site where the middle aisle now stands, but it became too small due to a growing number of visitors for the image of Mary.
2. In 1441, construction began on a stone church, which also proved to be too small.

In 1506, an additional hall was built at the southern façade, and three years later, in 1509, work began on the northern hall. The northern hall was completed in 1519.

Features

• A spiral staircase that led to the organ in the former Great Church (which was destroyed by fire in 1878)
• A large bell hangs from the central façade towards the Kleine Noord, with a weather vane placed on the roof above it.
• The floor is covered with tombstones (including those of the father of Willem IJsbrantsz Bontekoe), although after a restoration of the church in 1853, they no longer occupy their original places.

Behind the 17th-century choir screen lies the so-called armenkerk, equipped with bare wooden benches and pulpit, where until the beginning of the 20th century services were held for poor people. The floor consists of rough yellow terracotta tiles.

Past

Willem Cornelisz Schouten, a Hoorn explorer, who died in 1625, was also buried in this church.

Present and Future

Until 2017, the church served as a place of worship for the Protestant Community of Hoorn-Zwaag, a merger of the Reformed Church of Hoorn, the Reformed Congregation of Hoorn and the Reformed Congregation of Hoorn-Zwaag. Since 2017, the church has been owned by Westfries Cultuur Goed and is used exclusively for events and concerts.

The church is registered in the Rijksmonumentenregister.