Dijkstraat 14, Aalten

Villa Beekhuize serves as a reminder of the heyday of the textile industry in the village of Aalten.
Textile manufacturer Anton Driessen initially lived with the Meijerink family on Kerkstraat upon his arrival in Aalten. Later, he purchased a property on Landstraat. In 1833, Anton Driessen wished to build a new residence. To this end, he had purchased a house from the Degenaar estate at the end of Landstraat—the present-day Dijkstraat. He intended to demolish that house and construct a new, modern home on the site, complete with a warehouse, barn, and stables. However, he required more space than the existing plot provided. Anton Driessen subsequently submitted a proposal to the municipal authorities.
This plan necessitated the diversion of both the stream and the street. Furthermore, a new bridge was required. Because the piles of the old bridge had nearly rotted away, the construction of a new bridge was not only highly necessary but, according to Driessen, the relocation would also be less costly. In addition to diverting the stream and building a new bridge, Driessen also required land for his plans. To this end, he exchanged a plot of land with the municipality. Negotiations regarding the aforementioned matters lasted several years. Construction finally commenced in March 1835.
In addition to Anton Driessen, his nephew Heinrich also built a house on what was then Landstraat. Heinrich Driessen positioned a generous residence closer to the town centre, for which his eldest son, Theodoor, laid the foundation stone on 29 June 1837. Ever since, locals have referred to the two properties as ‘d’n veursten’ (the front) and ‘d’n achtersten Dreessen’ (the rear Driessen).
Owners
Overview is incomplete.
| Year | Plot | Owner | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1832 | I-1231 I-1233 | Jan Berend Lohuis | 199 m² house & yard 2.250 m² garden |
Residents
1813
Aalten 37
Johannes Degenaar (Aalten, 25-10-1779), weaver son
Evert Degenaar (Aalten, 10-05-1744), weaver father
1 man
1 woman
1 father
3 boys
Population register 1823-1837
Hendrika Luijten (Aalten, 16-09-1784), widow of Johannes Degenaar
Next residents:
Johannes Bernardus Antonius Driessen (Bocholt, 05-12-1797 – Aalten, 07-03-1879)
Isabella Lodewika Antoinetta Dees (Bocholt, 04-11-1800 – Aalten, 15-12-1879)
Population register 1838-1851
Johannes Bernardus Antonius Driessen (Bocholt, 05-12-1797 – Aalten, 07-03-1879)
Isabella Lodewika Antoinetta Dees (Bocholt, 04-11-1800 – Aalten, 15-12-1879)
Population register 1850-1861
“Landstraat”
Johan Bernard Anton Driessen (Bocholt, 05-12-1797 – Aalten, 07-03-1879)
Isabella Lodewika Antonetta Dees (Bocholt, 04-11-1800 – Aalten, 15-12-1879)
Population register 1860-1870
Joh. Bernard Anton Driessen (Bocholt, 05-12-1797 – Aalten, 07-03-1879)
Isabella Lodewika Antonetta Dees (Zutphen, 04-11-1800 – Aalten, 15-12-1879)
Population register 1870-1880
Johan Bernard Anton Driessen (Bocholt, 05-12-1797 – Aalten, 07-03-1879)
Isabella Lodewika Antonetta Dees (Zutphen, 04-11-1800 – Aalten, 15-12-1879)
Next (head) resident:
Helena Dorothea Elisabeth Driessen (Aalten, 09-06-1840 – Aalten, 21-04-1918)
Population register 1880-1890
Aalten 57
Helena Dorothea Elisabeth Driessen (Aalten, 09-06-1840 – Aalten, 21-04-1918)
Next residents:
Johannes Henricus Lambertus van den Hurck (Den Bosch, 14-11-1840), office clerk
Wilhelmina Philomena Maria Kroes (Den Bosch, 30-07-1844)
Next (head) resident:
Helena Dorothea Elisabeth Driessen (Aalten, 09-06-1840 – Aalten, 21-04-1918), widow of Johannes Antonius van Basten Batenburg
Population register 1890-1900
Aalten 57
Helena Dorothea Elisabeth Driessen (Aalten, 09-06-1840 – Aalten, 21-04-1918)
Population register 1900-1910
Aalten A79 > A23
Helena Dorothea Elisabeth Driessen (Aalten, 09-06-1840 – Aalten, 21-04-1918)
Population register 1910-1920
Helena Dorothea Elisabeth Driessen (Aalten, 09-06-1840 – Aalten, 21-04-1918)
Next resident:
Maria Petronella Johanna Koster (Epe, 21-11-1881)
Address directory 1934
Aalten A8/1 > Dijkstraat 14
Address directory 1967
Dijkstraat 14
Sources
- Address directory Aalten (1934 & 1967)
- Archive De Beukelaer / coll. EHDC
- Delpher
- ECAL
- ‘Geweven goed. De textielgeschiedenis van Aalten en Bredevoort’, H. de Beukelaer and J.G. ter Horst
- HisGIS
- Cadastral map
- WieWasWie (WhoWasWho)



