Kingma State
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I Kingma State · Chapter IV

The estate in the nineteenth century

1800–1864

Kingma State around 1860, shortly before its demolition, watercolour by Albert Martin.
Kingma State around 1860, shortly before its demolition, watercolour by Albert Martin.

In 1786 the Tegenwoordige Staat van Friesland described the state as ‘een zeer schoon gebouw en hovinge’ (a very fine building with gardens), and in 1847 Van der Aa’s geographical dictionary called it ‘het grootste sieraad van het dorp Sweins’ (the greatest ornament of the village of Sweins).

It was sold and demolished in 1864.

Shortly before the demolition, Leeuwarden draughtsman Albert Martin made a pencil drawing, a watercolour and a lithograph of the state, all three of which are in the collection of the Fries Museum in Leeuwarden.

Remarkably, a photograph was also taken of the state in the years prior to its demolition. This photograph is now owned by the Van Beijma thoe Kingma family.

Photograph of Kingma State, shortly before its demolition in 1864
Photograph of Kingma State, shortly before its demolition in 1864 (photographer unknown). Reproduction of the original print with the perspective corrected: in the reproduction the walls converged towards the top (uncorrected). A reproduction of the same photograph is held in the image bank of Tresoar (photo archive, inventory number 22215, public domain).