Ommerstein Castle

In the 14th-15th century Kesselhof (indicated on the Ferraris map, 1771-77 as Château de Kessel), after the van Kessel family; the first lord mentioned (1380) is Jan van Kessel. Catharina van Kessel married Arnold van Kriekenbeek, and from 1428 the property is mentioned as Kriekenbeek. In the mid-17th century, Elisabeth of Goldstein called herself lady of Ommerstein and Rothem. Due to the gap in the information about the domain between 1467 and the period of Elisabeth of Goldstein, when the name Ommerstein is first used, it is not clear whether the different names all refer to the same good, namely the current castle of Ommerstein. In the immediate vicinity are also the remains of a keep (confer Bergkelder) and another important asset, the Verschuylenhof (confer number 5). The opinions of the various authors are divided on this. According to the latest research by S. Defresne, the Kesselhof, the court of Kriekenbeek and Ommerstein is a single complex, separate from the Verschuylenhof and the Bergkelder; rather, both of these should be associated with the fief of Olmen or Olmont. Ommerstein is mentioned again at the end of the 18th century; in 1793 the castle was elevated by M. Smeets, lawyer from Maastricht, who remained the owner after the French revolution. A daughter of Smeets married Baron de Schiervel, mayor of Rotem in 1830, governor of Limburg from 1834 to 1857. His daughter married knight Moreau de Bellaing. The Ferraris map (1771-77) shows a moat plot within which the castle and neerhof are located. The castle, an L-shaped building, is located to the southwest of the plot, with a smaller, detached, rectangular building to the west; The neerhof consists of two opposite wings in the northeast; Southeast of the castle is the vegetable garden. Of this L-shaped castle only the corner tower in the southeast façade, now built on three sides; On the now built south façade was said to have been the year 1517 indicated by means of wall anchors. The L-shaped castle evolved in 1786 (year by means of wall anchors on a window slate of the façade) to a U-shape with open side to the southwest, and probably acquired a classicist appearance during this period. In the Atlas of the Neighborhood Roads (1846), this U-shaped building was in turn converted into a rectangular building with an extension to the northwest façade. The neerhof is still indicated by two parallel wings, connected to the northeast by a gatehouse. However, the detached building near the castle has grown into an elongated wing, which, in connection with the northwest wing of the neerhof, completely closes this side of the moated plot. During a construction campaign in 1854, this northwest wing was largely demolished; the ordinance of the buildings was adapted in neoclassical style: from this period probably date the wall openings, more specifically the rectangular shuttered windows, with hard stone lintel and sill; Probably the northern part of the moat also disappeared during this period. Several changes were made to the rectangular building with north-west extension during the second half of the 19th century and in the early 20th century, mainly by filling in the corners between the main building and the extension, and elevations of these fillings, creating the current rectangular shape. In the construction campaign of 1902 or 1906, the old drawbridge to the neerhof was removed and replaced by the current fence. During this period, the neerhof buildings were also adapted; In addition to a complete change in the ordinance, both were noticeably shortened on the southwest side. The north-western part of the moat was filled in. Between these campaigns and the Second World War, the appearance of the roofs was thoroughly altered; the tower was converted into a military observatory during World War II. In its present form, the castle consists of a rectangular building, with two parallel service buildings on the northeast side, connected by a wrought iron fence. Most of the original moat was preserved. This whole is surrounded up to the Rijksweg by a beautiful park, which was laid out in the second half of the 19th century in landscape style; there are a number of trees of great value: a Weymouth pine, a mountain pine, a pedunculate oak, a Lebanon cedar, a blue cedar, an American bird cherry and an American sweet chestnut. Of the current, rectangular, ochre-painted castle, the former corner tower is the oldest part. From the period of the mentioned date (1517) no visible remains were preserved; rather, the construction shows the characteristics of a Maas-style building from the second half of the 17th century or the first half of the 18th century. The corner tower is built in and only the southwest façade is visible in the southwest side façade of the castle. It has two bays and three and a half storeys under mansard roof with pear spire (slates). Brick with traces of the marlstone corner bands and marlstone alignment of the plinth. Wrought iron wall anchors with curls (second half of the 17th century or first half of the 18th century). Rectangular, shuttered windows with hard stone lintel and sill (mid-19th century). The castle itself is now a rectangular ensemble of seven bays and two storeys under mansard roof (slates), with skylights. In the façade a triangular pediment above the second, third and fourth bays. Elevated ground floor (basement), with basement windows. The two right-hand traverses jump slightly backwards. Neoclassical ordinance from the mid-19th century: rectangular, shuttered windows, with hard stone lintel and sill. The second and fourth lower windows may have retained traces of the classicist ordinance of 1786 in the profiled, limestone lintel, which may remain from a full, limestone frame and refer to a Louis XVI-style ordinance. Rectangular gull-wing door in a profiled hard stone frame, with a landing with semicircular staircase. The ordinance of the other facades is similar. The rear façade has a risalite in the three left travee; The third bay is an entrance, equipped with a staircase. The interior dates largely from the 19th century. The current service buildings at the entrance are parallel to each other and are connected by a wrought iron fence. This situation dates back to the beginning of the 20th century, when the drawbridge and gatehouse were removed and the neerhof buildings were given their current shape and ordinance. They may have retained an older core, but it is indistinguishable on the outside. Ochre yellow painted, brick buildings of one storey under wolf roofs (mechanical tiles and artificial slate), with skylights. Arched wall openings. The left building is U-shaped; It probably served as a coach house and horse stable. The right-hand service building seems to have been a servants' quarters and/or caretaker's house and stables.

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