The Foreesten house - Hoorn

The original inhabitants of this building were prosperous, which is reflected in the imposing and wide facade of natural stone. The very first resident was Jacob van Foreest: he commissioned the construction of this building. Jacob was a man who had amassed great wealth during his life, partly because of his position as secretary of the college of the Committed Councils of West Friesland.

Nanning van Foreest, one of the descendants of Jacob van Foreest, lived in this building in 1724. As director of the Dutch West India Company and mayor of Hoorn, Nanning was the wealthiest resident of the city. He liked to show this: he had a new natural stone facade placed on the house.

Take your time to view the Foreesten house and discover the symbolism in the facade. You see a person, the owner, in the middle of the balcony gate. It is surrounded by two axes with rod bundles. In classical antiquity, this was the symbol of higher magistrates.