The Houtrust Church is located in the Houtrust district of The Hague. The Houtrust Church was built in 1936 and only got this name after the 2nd World War. The Houtrustkerk is part of the Association of Freethinking Protestants. The Houtrust Church offers many different activities, from church services to lectures and concerts. In addition, the Houtrust Church has a library, a Cantorij and its own choir.
History
The Houtrustkerk was built in 1936 and taken into use by the Association of Freethinking Protestants of The Hague. The name only came after the 2nd World War, the church was named after the district where the church was located, Houtrust. The Houtrustkerk has always been part of the liberal branch of the Protestant Church of the Netherlands. The first pastor was Dr. Nicolette Bruining, many more liberal Protestant ministers followed after her. She was also the founder of the VPRO and therefore a big name within the Freethinking Protestant community.
Build
The Houtrust Church, designed by architect L. Bok, was built on the Verversingskanaal (Afvoerkanaal) near the former Houtrust estate behind the Westduinen. The church looks like a village church in a garden village environment. The sexton's house is connected to the church by a lower intermediate part. The whole is built of red brick and covered with gray roof tiles. A tower rooster, a gift from the main board of the Liberal Association, crowns the slender spire of the short tower on the church roof. Above the former main entrance is a beige facing brick with the Christ monogram, the alpha and omega, ears of corn and bunch of grapes. The church has nine high stained glass windows with eighteen stained glass arms donated by provincial and municipal departments of the VVH. In the years 1965-1966 the interior of the Houtrustkerk was modernized under the direction of the architect Harbert Reitsma.
Accessibility
The Houtrust Church is located in Houtrust in The Hague and is easily accessible by various means of transport. The Houtrustkerk is easily accessible by car, but you have to pay to park in the immediate vicinity between 6 pm and midnight. There are still options for free parking on Houtrustweg in the part of the Vogelwijk (near Bosjes van Poot). In addition, the Houtrust Church is easily accessible by public transport.
