Attention stone - City Hall Waspik

The bicycle and walking route, called "On Path in the Historic Langstraat," leads past all 24 attention stones in the municipality of Waalwijk. These stones are connected via a QR code to this website, where the route is described in detail. Heemkundekring 'Op 't Goede Spoor' in Waspik has also selected locations that are historically significant for their village.

City Hall Waspik (1875-1938)

The old town hall that stood against the north side of the N.H. church, had long since failed to meet the requirements of such a building. It was far too small, was in poor condition and, moreover, stood on land belonging to the Dutch Reformed congregation. In 1874, the city council decided to build a new building using a plot of land owned by the municipality, which until then had been listed as garden land. In 1875, the new town hall was inaugurated. On the second floor, the building housed the municipal offices, the council chamber and the mayor's office. The beautiful double staircase at the front gave access to the town hall and gave the building a distinguished appearance. The door below the stairs was the entrance to "the cachot," where lawbreakers were incarcerated while awaiting further proceedings. The constable also had his office there. Materials of the municipal services and the local fire department were also stored here.
A special detail in the front facade was the slightly forward built middle section crowned with a tympanum, a triangular decoration. The original windows were replaced by frames of a completely different type, and on the roof was a turret equipped with a clock.
The staircase disappeared during a later renovation. All that remains of it is the bluestone platform that now lies as a sidewalk in front of the front door. The following text can be read on it: "The first stone was laid by F.M. Gescher, mayor of Waspik on June 1, 1875.

Driving license
According to tradition mayor P.N. Dekkers, standing on this platform, assessed the performance of applicants for a driver's license. In 1938 the municipality of Waspik bought the villa of the de Roon family at Raadhuisstraat 2, rebuilt it and furnished it as a new town hall. The former town hall remained the property of the municipality. Initially, the first floor was available for police, fire and technical services. The second floor was converted into a residential house. This residence was made available to Mrs. Dekkers, the widow of Mayor Dekkers. Several families lived here until 1982. Then the building was completely occupied by the technical service of the municipality of Waspik.
After this property and the mayor's house at Raadhuisstraat 13 had stood empty for about twelve years from the municipal redivision in 1997, both properties were sold, restored and rebuilt. Two apartments were realized in this building, which were completed in early 2010. The beautiful double staircase that graced the town hall was not reinstalled. Although the town hall was not completely restored to its former glory, it can now rightfully be called a monument again.