Brickworks 'Rusthoven'

Brickworks Rusthoven at Eekwerderdraai was founded by Jan Hendrik Sissingh, who had bought the nearby castle ('borg Rusthoven') in 1804. The factory was bought and extended by Johannis Koning Uilkens in 1836. In those days the clay was dug by hand and transported by horse and wagon. Later a canal (Bolsloot) was dug leading straight to the clayshed. In 1924 the brickworks were bought by Berend van der Veen. He build new sheds and the current ring furnace. Clay was now transported by a narrow gauge railway using a diesel lokomotive, until the supply to the north of the factory ran out and clay was brought in by lorry from the other, south side of the Damsterdiep canal.
The brickworks kept producing in the tradional way using drying sheds and a ring furnace until it could no longer compete with modern factories. It closed down in 1965. [Jan Abrahamse, Noorderbreedte 5-1998]

02-09-05
The crumbling smokestack is very noticable (and for me very attractive). The grounds are surrounded by a construction fence, but in a corner this fence was flattened by what looks like a clumsy move of a tractor-driver. The terrain in front is heavily overgrown and hard going because of wooden beams and boards (leftovers from the drying sheds?) hidden under the weeds, so it was a bit of work to get to the buildings.