Whispers from centuries past linger here at Ipenrode. This historical estate whispers stories of Haarlem magistrates and wealthy merchants. It is a window into the lives of those who shaped this region.
Ipenrode, originally named Voorkoekoek, possibly started as two farms. These farms were known as Voorkoekoek and Achterkoekoek. Before 1606, Cornelis Franse was the first known owner of the estate. Lombardian lenders from Haarlem later owned it. Cornelis van der Wiele(n), a Haarlem beer brewer, was another owner until 1641.
The Leidsevaart’s creation split Voor- and Achterkoekoek. Abraham van Guldewagen, a Haarlem magistrate, purchased Voorkoekoek in 1716 for 20,900 guilders. The current manor house at Ipenrode was completed in 1733. François Aernout Druyvestein, from Haarlem, owned it then. Later, Amsterdam and The Hague magistrates and merchants from the Sautijn, Geelvinck, Dedel, and Van de Poll families possessed it.
Around 1760, a landscape-style park began taking shape. The 18th-century garden house still stands. Kennemer nobility owned Ipenrode around 1900. Hendrik van Wickevoort Crommelin owned it from 1874 to 1891. Hendrik Jan Deutz van Lennep followed from 1891 to 1906. Later, Ipenrode belonged to members of the Haarlem printing family Enschedé.
A property developer purchased the estate in 1972. They planned to build 76 service apartments in the park. The plan failed, and the estate deteriorated. Mr. J.A.E. Koning, an Amsterdam notary, bought the estate in 1983. He saved it from ruin and began a major renovation.
The house and park have belonged to P.H. van den Bos since 1989 after a thorough restoration. The estate has been lovingly restored. Today, Ipenrode stands as a testament to its rich past.
The main building faces the Herenweg. A driveway with an entrance gate approaches it from the north. A meadow stretches in front, deliberately left open in the 19th century. Behind the house lies a park forest with ponds and paths, a kitchen garden, an orchard, a service house, and a coach house. A ditch separates the front and back areas.
The rectangular manor house has a flattened hipped roof covered in tiles. Four chimneys crown it. The facade was plastered in the early 19th century to resemble stone blocks. A stone staircase leads to a sandstone platform. The south facade reveals building phases from the early and late 18th century. Architect A.A. Kok designed the glass doors, windows, and terrace in the early 20th century.
The rear facade features a central bay with empire window divisions. The windows on either side of the center date from the late 20th century. The pentagonal dome room dates from the third quarter of the 18th century. Around 1908, a new entrance was added to the north side. Elements from an 18th-century Haarlem house were used for the stoop and entrance.
Ipenrode whispers tales of grandeur and resilience. Its story echoes through the trees and halls. It is a reminder of the families who shaped its identity.