Reformed Orphanage

The Reformed Orphanage is a former 19th-century orphanage in the city of Schoonhoven, in the Dutch province of South Holland.

As early as the 14th century, mention is made of an 'orphanage' in Schoonhoven, charged with caring for orphans. At the time, they did not have their own orphanage. Orphans were placed with private foster families. Former mayor Barend van Hoeff left half of his possessions to the poor in the city when he died in 1576. At that time, the Netherlands were embroiled in the Eighty Years' War. Shortly before the death of the Catholic Van Hoeff, Schoonhoven had sided with the revolt against the Spaniards. Catholics' property was confiscated and the city council decided to spend money that came from this on charities. In 1581, partly thanks to this inheritance, an orphanage was founded in the expropriated monastery of Saint Agnes, on the corner of Koestraat and Schapenstraat in the city. At the opening, the residents consisted of an inner father and mother and nine orphans. In later years, this sometimes amounted to about 30 orphans. For the administration of the orphanage, regents and regentesses were appointed, who belonged to the well-to-do citizens. Until 1607 the orphanage moved several times, until in that year a house, built in 1549, was bought in the Koestraat, opposite the Grote or Bartholomeuskerk. This house was definitively given the function "orphanage of Schoonhoven". Two facing stones in the top façade of this house recall the history of the property.

In addition to the stone with the year, there was also a foundation stone with the text: "THE LORD WHO WANTS TO KEEP THE LINEAGE OF HOEFF BECAUSE SII DOORSAECK SIIN OF THE ORPHAN CHILDREN TO AMASS".

In 1705, a Guild Inspection Room was set up in the attic of the orphanage, where the silver content of the works of the Schoonhoven silversmiths was monitored. New guild members paid a right of accession, from 1718 half of it had to be paid to the Orphanage for the maintenance of the Guild Inspection Chamber.
In the nineteenth century, the orphanage was given a different purpose: from 1819 to 1852, the building was used to house the so-called urban or general poor, who had lost their accommodation in the hospice church. After 1852, the building regained its purpose as an orphanage

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