Castle & Estate Enghuizen - Hummelo

Estate Enghuizen in Hummelo is a historic estate with a rich history dating back to 1326, when Evert van Enghusen owned the 'Goet te groten Engehuse'. At that time, it was a fief of Zutphen, meaning the lord had to deliver a saddled horse to his liege annually.

In 1488, the estate came into the hands of Seger van Voorst, also known as Seger van Heeckeren called Rechteren. His family remained Catholic during the Eighty Years' War, leading to conflicts with the Protestant Republic. Eventually, his son Sweder sold the estate in 1619 to his brother-in-law Franco van Swieten. In 1636, Enghuizen came into the possession of Everhart van Heeckeren, whose descendants retained the estate until 1923.

The original medieval castle was replaced around 1700 by a palatial house with quarter-circle wings. In 1835, H.J.C.J. Baron van Heeckeren commissioned the construction of a new mansion in Italian palazzo style, completed in 1842.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, a unique economic activity developed on and around the Enghuizen estate: tobacco cultivation. Many farmers from Hummelo and the surrounding area grew tobacco, a lucrative crop at the time. The Van Heeckeren family purchased the locally grown tobacco and traded it further. Around 1812, tobacco was of great importance to the local economy. It is estimated that over a quarter of the population of Hummelo and the nearby town of Laag-Keppel depended on tobacco cultivation. However, there was much illegal trade and tax evasion, presumably often committed by the Van Heeckerens. This led to the prohibition of tobacco cultivation in Hummelo in 1813 and strict regulation in Keppel, ending this economic activity.

During World War II, the mansion was damaged. After a devastating fire in 1945, the remains were demolished in 1948. Today, only some foundations and wall fragments of the once majestic castle remain.

Photo: ©National Archives, colored