WATERSCHAPSHUIZEN

Cornelis Dirckz van Foreest (1704-1761) was a leading regent in Hoorn and beyond in the 18th century. In 1728 he bought two buildings on the Grote Oost (no. 4 and no. 6), probably 17th century houses. In 1734 he had one common facade installed for both buildings, resulting in a large city palace that radiated his influence and power.
On top of the facade of no. 6 he had an alliance coat of arms placed, with the family coats of arms Van Foreest and Van Akerlaken, another regent family from which his wife descended. An alliance coat of arms is a coat of arms on which two coats of arms (sometimes with their showpieces such as shield holders) are combined into one whole.
In 1915, the building came into the ownership of the Drechterland Water Board, which established its headquarters there. The Drechterland Water Board housed in this building from 1915 to 1972, and the name Drechterland House dates from that time.
The Drechterland Water Board became the West Friesland Water Board, which had its offices in the building from 1972 to 1995, which was expanded with the 16th century building Grote Oost 2. The buildings are also called the Water Board Houses.

At the facade stones of the Grote Oost 2 building:
The Grote Oost 2 building was occupied by mayor Nanning Kayser in the distant past. The left stone shows the coat of arms of the Kayser family, a coat of arms with three imperial crowns. The shield is set in a cartouche. Two shield holders, each with a hand inserted through a hole in the cartouche, hold the coat of arms. The woman's mask under the coat of arms is a mythical mask as was often depicted in the Renaissance.
On the right stone of the frieze is an image of two cheese carriers and the interior of (probably) a weighing house, with a staircase with a platform in the background. The cheese carriers wear traditional hats and saddles crossed on their backs. Given the combination of cheese carriers, weighing house and stairs, it is assumed that this statue represents the Hoorn weighing house.

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