Wilhelmina Museum Pumping Station
The Wilhelmina Museum Pumping Station, with its Amsterdam-style engineer's house, stands out in the open landscape of the Schermerpolder. The pumping station has been a museum since 1995 and is open every Sunday during the summer months.
From wind to electricity
De Schermeer, covering an area of approximately 4,800 hectares, was drained between 1633 and 1635 by 52 windmills. While the surrounding polders switched to steam drainage after wind drainage, the Schermer polder continued to use wind drainage. The system worked well, so expensive steam pumping stations were not installed. At the beginning of the20th century, however, the limitations of windmill drainage became apparent. Agriculture placed increasingly high demands on water management, and wind remained an uncertain factor for windmills. In addition, both the maintenance costs of the mills and the wages of the millers were rising. Therefore, in 1925, the polder board decided to build modern electric pumping stations. Electric drainage of the polder made the mills redundant. Of the original 52 windmills from the17th century, only 11 remain today.
Orange ground
The electric pumping stations were named after members of the Royal Family: Emma at Grootschermer, Wilhelmina at Schermerhorn, and Juliana at Driehuizen. The royal names were displayed on a yellow tile panel with a brick border on the facades. The technical realization of the pumping stations was in the hands of the Amsterdam engineering firm W.C. and K. de Wit. They hired talented architects to design the buildings.
The construction supervisor, Gerrit Verheus, lived with his wife and daughters in a mill near the Wilhelmina pumping station. The youngest daughter, Mrs. Mies Kikkert-Verheus, recalled that her father constantly struggled with flat bicycle tires due to the sharp basalt gravel used to pave the roads in the Schermer. Rainwater from a barrel was used as drinking water, the toilet consisted of a 'little house on the ditch', and in winter it was so cold in the mill that her breath froze on the blankets. Every day, the two sisters walked a long way to school in Schermerhorn. If they got thirsty on the way back, they scooped water from the canal with their hands!
Wilhelmina and Beatrix pumping stations
In 1928, the Wilhelmina pumping station and its attached staff quarters were put into use. The machine hall houses two Stork centrifugal pumps, powered by electric motors. Under normal circumstances, one pump was in operation. When there was a large amount of water coming in from the polder, both pumps were used. The pumping station was built in the Amsterdam School style. Characteristic features include the horizontal windows, brick facades, and the large roof overhang. The pumping station has had three operators. The last one was active until 1993, after which the pumps were permanently shut down.
Because the Wilhelmina pumping station could no longer handle water level reductions, the adjacent Beatrix pumping station was built in 1991. This small but very powerful pumping station is fully automated and no longer requires an operator. The Juliana pumping station was also replaced by the Willem-Alexander pumping station. Both pumping stations were put into operation by Crown Prince Willem-Alexander on June 2, 1998. After visiting the museum pumping station, he took a tour boat through the ring canal from the Beatrix pumping station to the Willem-Alexander pumping station near Driehuizen. Just before arrival, a huge downpour broke out. Fortunately, Willem Alexander didn't let that bother him!
Museum
The initiative by owner Waterschap Het Lange Rond to repurpose the old Wilhelmina pumping station as a museum immediately received widespread support in Schermer. Museumgemaal Wilhelmina opened its doors in 1995. Here, the history of water management is told. All installations are still present, only the underground part of the pumping station has been dismantled. The residential house is not accessible to the public. Outside, there is a landmark on the site of a demolished windmill.
