Gravel Church

In 1609, the Protestant church was officially established in Sittard with the appointment of the first pastor. It was only after the freedom of religion in 1632 that it became possible to build a church, which was done by Johan Lemmens in 1634. The building was at that time completely hidden among the surrounding buildings of Gruizenstraat. In 1680, after the destruction during the French occupation (1677), the church was rebuilt. In 1684, the bell tower was constructed, and ringing the bell was officially permitted.
Over the years, the church has undergone various changes and adaptations, including a raising of the floor in 1808. This was necessary to prevent the church from regularly flooding. The cause was a dispute between the church and a miller. There were two mills located by the now covered stream running along the church, one at the height of Drenth’s flower shop and the other near City restaurant. This latter miller would sometimes close the sluices, causing the church to flood ...
Colloquially, it was referred to as the "geuzenklompje" (due to the low tower and high roof). The church tower was then raised so that a bell could be installed, and ringing the bell became possible from that point on. During the penultimate restoration from 1975 to 1978, everything was restored to its original state from 1835. This is still visible in the brickwork on the side: the entrance was then on the side and there were several small windows. At the same time, the half-timbered houses from 1593 were restored; these had apparently not been destroyed during the French Occupation, and what used to be two separate homes was now one entity. The half-timbered houses were put to use by the Protestant church and were used as a consistory, for meetings, etc. Despite the fact that the church and the half-timbered houses were freely visible among all the shops, many did not notice that there was a church here, let alone that they had been inside.
Where both properties were hardly visible in the past, they now present themselves as a gem in the city center !! Nowadays, G7 Food & Drinks is located here, where one can enjoy pure, honest dishes of regional origin for a good price-quality ratio.

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