from wikipedia:

Quote:

Villa Welgelegen, the current offices of the provincial executives of North Holland, the Netherlands is located at the north end of a public park in Haarlem. It is a prime example of neoclassical architecture, unusual for its style in the Netherlands. It was built by Henry Hope of the famous family banking company Hope & Co. of Amsterdam, from 1785 to 1789 as a summer home to replace the already quite impressive structure that he purchased there in 1769. From 1769 onwards, Henry Hope purchased more and more adjoining land in order to fulfill the plans he had for a great palace. During the five year period that the construction took place, it was the talk of the town. No one had seen such a large summer home. To give an impression of the size compared to his contemporaries, see the map from 1827 showing the size of Welgelegen and its gardens (that go much further south than the map shows) compared to its neighboring summer homes of Amsterdam mayors and bankers. Henry Hope was so influential that he persuaded the Haarlem local government to redesign the public parks Frederickspark and Haarlemmerhout on both sides of the palace. Henry Hope collected many paintings and sculptures and had renowned artisans design the interior. He had many famous visitors to this palace, including William V of Orange, who visited with his wife, Princess Wilhelmina of Prussia, and Thomas Jefferson in 1788. Holland was the first country to recognize the United States as a country in 1782, and attracted many US visitors looking to trade with the wealthy merchants of Amsterdam, that was at that time the financial center of Europe.

Read more here.

Here a picture of Pavillion 'Welgelegen' in Haarlem, once residence of Princess Wilhelmina of Orange, nee Pss of Prussia (mother of King Willem I) and her daughter Louise, Duchess of Brunswick. Now it harbours the offices of the province of Noord-Holland (the enlarged the pavillion on the backside).

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f5...vinciehuis.jpg

and a drawing:

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f5...welgelegen.jpg

from www.haarlem.nl and the university of Groningen.

From ANP, a black & white picture:

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/d...n2/5155413.jpg

Look at the ugly new backside here.

From the website of the city of Haarlem:

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/d...achterkant.jpg http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/d...n2/1hapav3.jpg

From wikipedia:

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/d...welgelegen.jpg http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/d...is_haarlem.jpg

An old drawing:

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/d...Harlem2C_p.jpg

And another one:

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/d...Welgelegen.jpg

A Map:

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/d...-Nautz1827.jpg

From Mooi-Haarlem.tripod.com:

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/d...welgelegen.jpg http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/d...lgelegen21.jpg http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/d...elgelegen5.jpg http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/d...lgelegen30.jpg

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/d...en2/1hpav4.jpg http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/d...en2/1hpav2.jpg http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/d...rlem_klein.jpg

HM Queen Beatrix will re-open this extensively renovated gem/former Palace / seat of government of
the Province of North-Holland on may 29th.