The Hofje van Noblet is a hofje in Haarlem, Netherlands.
History
It was built in 1761 from the legacy of Leonard Noblet and his sisters Sara en Geertruida. The houses in the hofje are built in the garden of the house of the Noblet family, Haerlem en Spaargesigt. The father of Leonard, Elezar Noblet, bought it in 1737. The Noblet family originally came from Amsterdam. Because Leonard, Sara and Geertruida had no legal heirs, they decided to construct a common last will. They wrote that they wanted to found a hofje, and that the governors of the nearby Hofje van Staats would be the executors of their will.
The hofje was built with 20 houses. Ten for women from Haarlem, on the east-side of the hof, and ten for women from Amsterdam, at the west-side. The women living there had to be at least 50 years old, had to have been single their whole life and had to have been a member of the Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk, an old name of the Dutch Reformed Church.
A part of the original house of the Noblet family serves as the house of the supervisor of the hofje, another part is the official housing of the governors (regents) of the hofje (who are also the governors of the Hofje van Staats).
The main entrance of the hofje is located on the Nieuwe Gracht overlooking the Spaarne river and there is a back entrance on the Parklaan. When the hofje was built that was not called the Parklaan, but 'Achter Nieuwe Gracht,' a canal. The entrance to the old house of the Noblet family is located on the Hooimarkt. An original drawing of the Hofje van Staats, as well as items from that hofje's history, are located in the hall and regent's room of the Hofje van Noblet, whose finances are also managed by the same "Foundation for the preservation of the Hofjes Staats and Noblet." Above the doorway to the Regent's room, a board with the list of names of the regents hangs with the dates of their appointment, which are also the dates of their oval portraits that hang in the two front rooms.
List of regents and their portraits Regent's nameOval portrait artistYear/link to portrait Andries HeshuysenFrans Decker1724 Salomon FockeFrans Decker1750 Salomon KrulTako Hajo Jelgersmaca 1750 Herman DravemanTako Hajo Jelgersma1756 Gerrit Willem van Oosten de BruynTako Hajo Jelgersma1764 Nicolaas GalleTako Hajo Jelgersma1768 Cornelis de GraatTako Hajo Jelgersma1768 Arent Jan van EybergenWybrand Hendriks1786 Jacob van VarelenWybrand Hendriks1786 Johannes Enschedé IIWybrand Hendriks1791 Victor Jacobus BerkhoutWybrand Hendriks1797 Pieter Samuel CrommelinWybrand Hendriks1800 Pieter Jacob van EybergenWybrand Hendriks1804 Johannes Enschedé IIIWybrand Hendriksca.1825 Cornelius Johannes de Bruyn KopsWybrand Hendriksca.1825 Daniel Frans CrommelinJan Adam Kruseman1825 Marten Adriaan BeelsJan Adam Kruseman1825 Willem Gerrit de Bruyn KopsAntonie Frederik Zürcherca. 1860 Jacobus Willem Maurits van de PollAntonie Frederik Zürcherca. 1860 Adriaan Volkert Teding van BerkhoutAntonie Frederik Zürcher1861 Johannes Enschedé IVJohan Heinrich Neumanca.1865 Johannes Enschedé VA.J. Zurelca. 1875 Floris Willem van StyrumAnthonie Jacobus van Wijngaerdt1888 Willem Philip Teding van BerkhoutHendrik Antoon Pothast1884 Charles Fredrik van de PollWim ter Reehorst1905 Eduard Henri Elisa Teding van BerkhoutUnknown1906 Gijsbert van TienhovenHagedoorn1921 Johannes Enschede (1879-1938)Unknownca.1925 Floris Willem van StyrumHarie Jonas1932 Samuel CrommelinGerrit David Gratama1934 Boudewijn Franciscus EnschedeUnknownca. 1940 Bernard Gertrudus van StyrumHendrik Jan Wesseling1941 Emile Jules Strick van LinschotenHendrik Jan Wesseling1942 Bartold Willem Floris van RiemsdijkJaap Pander1947 Willem Hendrik BiermanJohn Brinkworth1951 Eco Deodaat Haitsma MulierAleid Slingerland1972 Louis Willem Pahud de MortangesAleid Slingerland1977 Dirk Johan EnschedeF. van Oordtca. 1980 Albertus HuijsmanAleid Slingerland1984 Johan Herman Bijl de VroeAleid Slingerland1986
The hofje was renovated in 1992, when the number of houses was reduced from 20 to 16 to allow for modern living requirements.
Address: Nieuwe Gracht 2
References
Haarlems hofjes, Dr. G. H. Kurtz, Schuyt & Co C.V., Haarlem, 1972, Door gangen en poorten naar de hofjes van Haarlem, L. Peetorn and L. van der Hoek, Stichting Uitgeverij Barabinsk Leiden, 2001,