The Harderwijk family of Westervelt bought land adjacent to the Leuvenumsche Beek at the beginning of the eighteenth century. The family had a prestigious house built on the site for their own residence in 1744. The house is located near De Zwarte Boer.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, Jonkheer C.J. Sandberg the estate. He demolishes the old farms, reclaims the heath, merges land and creates forests. This is how the current Leuvenum estate was created. De Jonkheer has Huize Leuvenum rebuilt in a different location. Nowadays the estate with the house is part of the Sandberg van Leuvenum Foundation
Huize Leuvenum
The old house from 1744 is located on an island close to the De Zwarte Boer restaurant. A square townhouse with two floors. On the forecourt in summer there are orange trees in tubs and swans in the canal. On the other side of the water is a deer park. Due to its poor condition, it was demolished in 1854. The demolition released stones. Fun fact is that these stones were used for the renovation of De Zwarte Boer.
Sandberg family
In 1919, a new chapter was added to the history of Huize Leuvenum. Jonkheer C.J. Sandberg (1883-1945) bought the estate from his cousin in 1919. Jonkheer Sandberg is building a new Huize Leuvenum in a different location. It will be a stately two-storey mansion. It also has a picturesque dome tower. The construction corresponds to the design of De Essenburgh Castle in Hierden. With the beautiful nature frame, the house forms an attractive picture in Ermelo. He is also vigorously pursuing the development of the estate. He demolishes old farms, reclaims the heath, merges land and creates forests. The farms on the estate are recognizable by their green shutters with yellow stripes.
The family will only stay in the hunting lodge (now demolished) during the summer. De Jonkheer suffers from asthma. He notices that his health is much better in Leuvenum. After a while, he and his family moved into the new Huize Leuvenum. Sunday is a day for church. They walk straight through the fields and meadows to the Oude Kerk in Ermelo. The family has its own pew in the church.
During the Second World War, the Sandberg family took in evacuees. The Germans invaded the house in January 1945. They arrest Jonkheer Sandberg and his son. Both are taken away. Father and son do not survive the German concentration camps. His wife and daughters remain alone in Huize Leuvenum.
Survival of estate and Huize Leuvenum
The unmarried Damsels A.C. Sandberg (1916-2006) and M.A.J. Sandberg (1919-2014) are the last residents of Huize Leuvenum. They founded the Sandberg van Leuvenum Foundation in 2002. In this way they secure the continued existence of the estate and Huize Leuvenum. Leuvenum owes a lot to Jonkheer Sandberg. That is why the road that runs through the hamlet is named after him.
Translated by Google •
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