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Herstellingsoord Heideheuvel
1880 / J. De Groot

Witte Kruislaan 12

Also in 1875, the Noord-Hollandse association Het Witte Kruis was founded by the director of NV Herstellingsoord De Trompenberg, drs. J. Penn, and its commissioner, drs. J.F. from Hengel. The aim of the association was to try to alleviate the miseries of life even in peacetime. This included combating epidemics and contagious diseases, as well as providing assistance.

The White Cross set up the Heideheuvel convalescent home for women and girls for this purpose. It was built in 1880 at a considerable distance from the Trompenberg in the middle of arable land. The designer was J. de Groot. He made a rare example of neo-Gothic, in which influences of Moorish architecture can be seen in the elaboration of the facade termination.

Although the building has been modified it still exists. It is the only remaining building, which is representative of this form of health promotion at the time. The complex is now part of the Media Park. The members of the Company had already planned to build a crematorium near Heideheuvel from the end of the eighties of the 19th century. The crematorium designed by architect A. Salm has not been realised. In the 1920s, a substantial extension in brick was realized to the design of C. de Groot. In the garden were all kinds of buildings that were important for the healing process, such as houses and lounges.

Source: Annette Koenders, Hilversum. Architectuur en Stedenbouw 1850-1940, Zwolle (2001).