Hofje van Staats

In former times hofjes were built in the back gardens of larger homes of the wealthy donors.

The original gateway house of this hofje still stands, but no longer functions as the home of a governing regent, but as a storefront.

According to the original hofje rules and regulations, the women eligible to live there were not very poor, because they had to buy their place for 50 florins and bring a long list of possessions with them, including clothing and furnishings.

The hofje was quite wealthy, and in 1783 celebrated its 50-year jubilee with a glass for the regents engraved with the portrait of Ysbrand Staats.

According to the period history of Haarlem by Pieter Langendijk, the hofje had bleaching fields behind the easternmost cottages and a pavilion on the Spaarne river for the ladies to drink tea in.