[5] Reitsum is a terp (artificial living mound) village dating several centuries before Christ.

It is one of the four so-called Vlieterpen (literally: flee terps) with a church and a couple of houses.

[6] The nearby farmers and their cattle could take shelter on the mound in case of high water.

On 10 February 1886, Ploos van Amstel announced as one of the first that he supported Abraham Kuyper which led to the 1886 Dutch Reformed Church split.

Even though Ploos van Amstel was formally dismissed,[4] and a lock was installed on the pulpit, he continued to preach in the village.