Let’s talk about Rue François Delcoigne. This street connects Sint-Annakerkstraat with Van Hoegaerdeplein. Veiligheidsstraat and Novillesquare are side streets.
Rue François Delcoigne came about in 1877. It replaced the old neighborhood road number 9. This was the Obbergen Straetje. It ran along Sint-Annakerk and the former cemetery. It split off towards Van Hoegaerdeplein.
The new street runs straight. It only meets the old road at the end near Novillesquare. This new layout allowed for development on both sides of the street.
The street got its name in 1891. François Delcoigne was an industrialist. He was also a council member. He served as alderman from 1869 until his death in 1878.
The De Boeck brewery once stood here. It was built in 1877. It was on the even side of the lower part of the street. It sat on the corner of Van Hoegaerdestraat and Van Hoegaerdeplein. The brewery formed a unit with its own roads between the buildings. There was a brewery, malthouse, beer warehouse, and administrative office.
The brewery’s first main entrance was on Van Hoegaerdestraat. This entrance is partially preserved. When F. Delcoignestraat was fully extended, the main entrance moved to this street. The brewery closed in the late 1960s. It was demolished in 1997 due to dry rot. Apartment buildings now stand where the brewery once was. Today, only the first entrance portal remains. The two master brewers’ houses on Van Hoegaerdestraat and Van Hoegaerdeplein also remain.
Most houses on Rue François Delcoigne were built in the 1890s. Numbers 1 to 9, 11, 13, 41, and 43 are examples. An old people’s home was built in 1897. This was thanks to a bequest from Doctor J.B. Jourdan. The building had a Flemish neo-Renaissance style. It featured cross windows. A front building formed a small bell tower. The current retirement home replaced it in 1974.
The municipal boys’ school is another important building. It was built in 1903. Architect Henri Jacobs is credited with its design. It is an Art Nouveau building. Today, it hosts cultural performances.
The last plots on the even side of the street were built in the 1960s. This was after the district behind the church was developed. The land had been cleared after the cemetery was moved.
Look at numbers 3, 5, 7, 9 and 78 Rue de l’Église Sainte-Anne. These are five similar houses. They have asymmetrical elevations on two levels. They are decorated with red bricks. Blue stone elements and black brick bands enhance them. Numbers 3 and 9 have refends. The bays have basket-handle arches. The other bays have lowered arches. The main bays are topped with a through-gable dormer with straight ramps. Numbers 7 and 78 have stepped ramps. The dormer of numbers 3 and 9 is preceded by a small balcony. The others have just a railing. Number 1 was similar to number 7. It was heavily modified in 1951. The cornices are preserved except at number 78. The rest of the carpentry has been replaced.
Number 74 Rue de l’Église Sainte-Anne is a corner house. It has a commercial ground floor. The rendered elevation has six bays on two floors. One bay faces Rue F. Delcoigne. One is a bias. Four face Rue de l’Église Sainte-Anne. The ground floor has refends.
Number 76 Rue de l’Église Sainte-Anne has a rendered elevation. It has faux joints of three bays on three levels. The last level is the result of an elevation in 1928. The windows on the first two levels have a molded frame.
The preserved cornices include numbers 3, 5, 7, 9 and 78 Rue de l’Église Sainte-Anne. The remaining carpentry has been replaced.
Rue François Delcoigne is more than just a street. It is a journey through time. It reflects Koekelberg’s industrial past and architectural evolution.