Veerpoort, City gate in Schoonhoven, Netherlands.
Veerpoort is a city gate in Schoonhoven featuring stone entrance structures with crowned mourning vases and symmetrical pavilions topped with pediments on both sides. The construction uses carefully dressed stone blocks and was designed as part of the city's water defense system.
Built in 1601 under mayors Cluijt and Blockhuijsen, it replaced an earlier structure from the 14th century located at the intersection of Veerstraat and Scheepmakershaven. This reconstruction represented a major renewal of the city's defenses during the Dutch Golden Age.
The gate displays water level markers from the floods of 1716 and 1953, documenting significant events that shaped the local community. Visitors can see these carved lines and grasp how water posed a real threat to the city.
The gate functions as part of the water defense system and closes with wooden doors during high water events to protect the city. Visitors should note that the best view of the stone details and decorations can be seen from the outside.
From 1962 to 2016, artist Wim Graves Kooiman used the gate as his studio before it became the Meesters van de Zilverstad gallery in 2018. This artistic use gave the historic structure a new life and connects its past to contemporary culture.
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