Reguliersgracht 57 and 63

Two out of the ordinary houses in chalet style on Reguliers­gracht with an inter­esting history help to shed some light on the important work of contractors in Amsterdam’s building history. While the architects and their often wealthy clients are usually listed when discussing histo­rical buildings, the contractors who did the actual building work often go unmentioned.

Reguliersgracht 57-59 and 63, viewed from Kerkstraat near Amstelveld north towards Keizersgracht (June 2023).

Initially these contractors were carpenters and masons, simply accepting execution of a certain job for a fixed price. During the 19th century the contractors became more important as an inter­mediary between client and architect — they organized the planning, buying and transport of materials, often even creating building plans. Most architects were not too happy with the growing involvement and responsi­bilities of the contractors. It wasn’t until 1895 that contractors started their own union to promote their own interests, the Neder­landsche Aannemers­bond (Dutch Contractors Union).

View along Reguliersgracht, from Kerkstraat near Amstelveld north towards Keizersgracht (June 2023).

Zeeger Deenik & Son

In 1813 foreman Zeeger Deenik (1782-1871) started a carpenter’s workshop (timmermans-affaire) together with C. Lockhorst at Keizers­gracht 718. They later moved to Kerk­straat 151 near Spiegel­straat, where their cooperation ended in 1819. In 1820 Deenik rented a workshop at Reguliers­gracht 57 where he continued his business, joined by his son in 1837.

Registration of intended marriage on March 6, 1807, between Zeger Deenik and Hendrika Henriks (Stads­archief Amsterdam).

The firm executed designs by many top architects of the time, but also designed buildings themselves. In 1911 they bought a lot at Kerk­straat 299 as a factory for their wood­working machinery. Zeeger Deenik’s firm left the house in 1919 and around 1970 they moved to Diemen. Their firm lasted for six generations, but was bank­rupted in 1979.

Up until around 1860 the contrators mostly handled the maintenance and remodeling of homes — the economic decline during the French occupation meant very few new houses got built. Popular changes during that period were the addition of an extra floor on top, the changing of the gable and the removal of the doorstep and basement. In slack building times the firm also handled insurance and realtor activities.

Reguliersgracht 57-59, drawings from 1879 by architect Isaac Gosschalk (1838-1907) (Stads­archief Amsterdam).

When Amsterdam started to grow explosively during the 19th century, the firm Deenik & Son expanded around 1870 and their work­shop soon became too small. Thus Deenik bought the adjacent number 59 — in 1879 he asked architect Isaac Gosschalk to unite the numbers 57 and 59 and create a new workshop and home there. Three years later he also bought Reguliers­gracht 63 and had Gosschalk design a new office and home there as well.

Detail of the wood and brickwork façade of Reguliersgracht 57-59 (June 2023).

Reguliersgracht

The 0.53 km (580 yd) long Reguliers­gracht (Regulars Canal) is a traverse canal, connecting Heren­gracht (at nr. 534) with Lijn­baans­gracht (at nr. 393), crossing Prinsen­gracht and Keizers­gracht. The canal was dug between 1658 and 1664, during Amsterdam’s Fourth Expansion. It was named after the Regulars convent, which stood outside of the Regular’s Gate between 1394 and 1532, more or less where now Utrechtse­straat crosses Keizers­gracht.

A reconstruction in birds-eye view of the Regulars Convent as it was in 1536 (Stads­archief Amsterdam).

Reguliersgracht 57-59

The house at Reguliers­gracht 57, built around 1879, is very different from the sur­rounding houses, done in German medieval fashion with Neo-Renaissance elements. It has a wooden top façade with over­hang and a deviating color scheme. The façade unites wood, brick and fancy plasterwork.

Detail of the woodwork, brickwork and stained glass windows on Reguliersgracht 57-59 (June 2023).

Reguliersgracht 63

This chalet-style house with Queen Anne elements at Reguliers­gracht 63, built in 1882, was the home and office for master carpenter and contractor Zeeger Deenik (1841-1906), third generation head of the firm, who moved in with his family in 1883. The house was created to serve more or less as a business card for the various disciplines of his craft, both through the exterior and the rich interior. This building replaced an earlier one from 1671, which had belonged to another carpenter, Andries Claesz, using the existing 17th century foundations and outer walls.

Top of the façade of Reguliersgracht 63 (June 2023).

The house consists of a front and back house, with a stair­way between them. The kitchen is in the back, the attic was where the maid lived. The wood­work on the façade and the stained glass windows are worth a closer look — the ornate facade is one of the few buildings in Amsterdam to combine brick, stone and wood. The house became a show­room for men’s clothing in 1934, was bought by Stads­herstel (City Restoration) in 1974 and restored in 2013. Now it’s still a home annex office.

Details of the first floor front of Reguliergracht 63 (June 2023).

In 1972 Deenik & Zoon wanted to demolish Reguliers­gracht 63, to unite it with their other lots at Reguliers­gracht 57-59 and Kerk­straat 323-325, but fortunately the city prevented that. A mantel­piece on the second floor has the saying on it “Effe is slecht treffe” (You can’t please everyone). The interior has quite a few Free­masonry elements (carpenter Deenik and architect Gosschalk were both Freemasons). The house can’t be visited (it is a private residence), but it has one of the best preserved 19th century interiors and has been a national monument since 1980. Now it houses Rescura Bleijenberg, who did the excellent restoration.

Ornament above the doorway of Reguliersgracht 63 (June 2023).

The mailbox on the door of Reguliersgracht 63 (June 2023).

Architect Isaac Gosschalk

Architect Isaac Gosschalk (1838-1907), who designed both buildings for Deenik, was one of the famous architects of his time: he designed many buildings in Amsterdam, like the Groote Club on Dam square (1872, demolished in 1912), the Panorama building on Plantage Midden­laan (1880, demolished in 1935) and the Wester­gas­fabriek (1883) on Haar­lemmerweg.

Drawing of Isaac Gosschalk (Archief NAI) and front of Reguliersgracht 57 (Stads­archief Amsterdam).

Reguliersgracht, looking in the direction of the Keizersgracht (June 2023).