North Polder House
The Noorderpolderhuis van de Schermer, located on the dike north of Schermerhorn, is a gem in the landscape. This national monument is a water board building with a long and interesting history. The Noorderpolderhuis is not open to visitors, but is usually opened on Open Monument Day.
From carpenter's house to water board house
The Noorderpolderhuis was originally built as a service residence for the mill carpenter. He ruled over the large mill workshop, the Noorderwerf. The barns were used for maintenance work on the 52 mills that kept the Schermer dry at the time.
The exact date of construction is unknown, but the oldest written reference dates from December 11, 1661. In the belfry (in the ridge turret) hangs a bell with the inscription 1681, confirming the 17th-century origin of the building.
In 1744, the house was purchased by the polder board of the Schermeer Water Authority and converted into a polder house. The polder board continued to meet in Alkmaar town hall. In addition, the polder house was a suitable meeting location in the middle of the windmills, which often required maintenance costs. On the south side, the house was expanded in 1752 with a hallway and a higher section with wooden gables, which houses the gentlemen's room. This extension was built in brick because it was more durable. There was also a Zuiderpolderhuis, located in the neighbourhood . It was demolished in 1958.
Meetings in style
The gentlemen's room was used for meetings, meals, and as a reception room by the dike reeve and district water board members of the Schermeer Water Board and its successors, Het Lange Rond and the Hollands Noorderkwartier Water Board. Striking features in the meeting room include the bronze-green painted beams with Latin inscriptions in gold paint, the marble mantelpiece with Rococo carvings, the mahogany oval table, the oak map chest, the twelve-armed chandelier, the angel on the globe (De Faam) made from oak from a Schermer mill, and the corner cabinet with water board glasses. Around the table are chairs, one of which has armrests and was intended for the dike reeve.
Fireplace viewing, bowling, and dining
Every year in the fall, the board or the farmers would check whether the reeds and aquatic plants had been removed from the ditches so that the water could drain away unhindered. After this inspection, the board would decide in the gentlemen's room who deserved a fine for not having done this work. This important day ended with a meal, but first the gentlemen went bowling. Because the Noorderpolderhuis was far from civilization, they had their own skittle alley in the carpenter's shed. The ringing of the bell was the signal that it was time to sit down at the table in the gentlemen's room for the inspection meal. The table was richly set with their own silver cutlery and Wedgwood tableware with an ivy motif. Ivy is a plant that binds things together and is therefore a symbol of friendship. The hensbeker was also ready. The word 'Henze' or 'hanze' means alliance, and the cup was used to toast friendship.
Threatened with demolition
Around 1950, the polder house was in poor condition. Under the leadership of dike reeve Posch, it was decided to carry out a major renovation, although objections were raised due to the high costs. The restoration was completed in 1953. A commemorative stone in the facade commemorates the festive reopening. In 2019, extensive restoration work was carried out once again. The complex is still used for meetings, and the traditional harvest meal takes place here in the fall. The residential part is in use.
