Sondernweg 9, Lintelo
Former Sunday school dating from the early 20th century, restored and converted into a vacation rental.
In the nineteenth century, Rev. Breukelaar ensured that Sunday schools were established in Aalten. For children in the surrounding hamlets, Sunday school was held at someone’s home on a farm, so the children did not have to travel all the way to the village. Gradually, a need arose in these hamlets to build a local hall or zondagsschoolhuuske (Sunday school house). A total of nine small Sunday schools appeared, only a few of which have been preserved.
In the rural district of Lintelo, there were formerly two Sunday schools. In the centre of Lintelo, there was a small Sunday school on the Schooldijk, but this was demolished around 1950. The ‘Lintelo Veur’ Sunday school was built in 1924. Originally, the school had two rooms and was considerably more spacious than most Sunday schools in the municipality of Aalten.
Foundation
That the plans in Lintelo were serious was evidenced by the official publication in the Staatscourant (Government Gazette) regarding the establishment of the ‘Zondagschoolvereniging te Vóór Lintelo’ (Sunday School Association for Vóór Lintelo). At a meeting in May 1924, the 17 members present decided that a ‘hall’ should be built to be used as a Sunday school for children from Lintelo.
To build the hall, money and land were required. To raise funds, a collection was held in Lintelo as well as in the surrounding hamlets. Quotes were requested from various contractors. Initially, they considered a building with one large room measuring eight by five metres. Eventually, they decided the building should be larger—albeit more expensive—but, as the reasoning went, cheaper per square metre.
The building would have two rooms and a separate storage area. A second collection was held to raise additional funds. The necessary land was also found; for a symbolic amount, a small piece of land was acquired from the former Schenk farm, at the corner of the Veldweg and Sondernweg.
From 1925 onwards, the children came to ‘Lintelo Veur’ every Sunday. Each year at Easter, there was a larger children’s party. This continued until the war. During the war, the occupying forces confiscated the Sunday school for use as storage. The Sunday school was forced to be held on a farm again. Immediately after the war, the Sunday school was designated as emergency housing.
It took until the end of 1950 for the association to regain the building following a lawsuit. The building was refurbished and was ready just before Christmas. It was returned to use with a festive Christmas celebration. With this Christmas party, a new tradition was born that continued until the mid-90s: every child received a book annually during the Christmas party. A small notebook was kept to meticulously record which child had received which book and when.
Gradually, the number of children attending Sunday school declined. Over seventy years after the founding of the ‘Zondagschoolvereniging te Vóór Lintelo’, the decision was made to dissolve it at the end of 1995. The property was sold.
Listed
Five years later, in 2000, the Sunday school was placed on the municipal monument list because “it is a good example of a traditional school from the early 20th century. With its prominent location, it is of particular importance for the original character of the area. It is important for keeping the development of education in the municipality of Aalten in the twentieth century visible.”
The small building was subsequently used regularly for parties and as a rehearsal space for a band. However, the condition of the building gradually deteriorated.
Vacation rental
In 2008, the current owners began making plans. After consultation with the municipality, it turned out that a vacation rental was the most achievable scenario. However, the building was not insulated, and there was no upper floor. A thorough and sustainable approach was required. Work began in early 2012. Gradually, unexpected old elements reappeared, such as old doors with their characteristic green colour, the frames around the doors and windows, and the dark oak ceiling.
Today, the little school looks beautiful again and is available for overnight stays.
