The Essensteyn farm lies at the bottom of the Lek Dike, on the edge of Everdingen. The farmhouse was originally built in a T-shape, with the front house connected directly to a lower shed area. However, the working part and the barns at the rear were demolished in the 1960s. The current monumental front house was built in the 17th Century, but historical sources show that this place was inhabited for much longer.
Documents from 1417 state that Gijsbert van Culemborg, Lord of Culemborg, was given ‘Esschensteijn’ as a loan. The grandson of Gijsbert van Culemborg, Hubert, even used Essenstein as his family name. When his son, Zweder van Essenstein, died without issue in the year 1517, Essenstein became the property of Jan van Meerten Ernstsz.
From a linguistic …
The Essensteyn farm lies at the bottom of the Lek Dike, on the edge of Everdingen. The farmhouse was originally built in a T-shape, with the front house connected directly to a lower shed area. However, the working part and the barns at the rear were demolished in the 1960s. The current monumental front house was built in the 17th Century, but historical sources show that this place was inhabited for much longer.
Documents from 1417 state that Gijsbert van Culemborg, Lord of Culemborg, was given ‘Esschensteijn’ as a loan. The grandson of Gijsbert van Culemborg, Hubert, even used Essenstein as his family name. When his son, Zweder van Essenstein, died without issue in the year 1517, Essenstein became the property of Jan van Meerten Ernstsz.
From a linguistic point of view, the name Essenstein, with the ending “stein”, could refer to a castle. Essenstein is described in the 18th Century as the ridderhofstadt (“knight’s land”) of Essesteijn. However, it was certainly a farm rather than a castle.
Further reading: Lek dike, Rustenburg farm, Everdingen village centre, Fort Everdingen, Hagestein Castle.
