In 1914, when Koudekerke was still an independent municipality, municipal secretary J.P. Terwoert commissioned architect A.M. Baljeu to design a house on Middelburgsestraat. The story goes that the mayor, Baron Hendrik Paulus van der Borch tot Verwolde van Vorden, objected to the height of the building. To resolve this, the roof structure was adjusted, resulting in a house with a great variety of roofs. The local children also called the house the 'Pippi Longstocking' house, due to its resemblance to Villa Villekulla from the Swedish children's series.

Between 1930 and 1940, the house was connected to the water supply and sewage network. The canopy above the entrance initially hung from eyes with tension rods, but later wooden posts were added as supports. Next to the house, Mr. Terwoert had a wooden 'Shed' placed for storage.

In October 1944, Koudekerke was hit by a flood after a bombing of the sea dike near Westkapelle. The salt seawater caused permanent damage to the masonry and woodwork of Villa Querina, as it did to other 'Water Houses' on Walcheren.

In 1933, mathematics teacher W.J. Kramer bought the house, which he sold in 1987 to J.H. de Vries. The De Vries family had the 'Shed' replaced in 1994 with a brick 'Annex' in the same architectural style as the house.

In 2003, Karin Broekmeyer and Hans (Sam) Smit bought the house. Karin, a planter's daughter born in Africa, immediately fell in love with the house. Together they worked for years on restoring the house and garden. They built a hobby room ('t'Appeluus') for making 'Aplomb' (refined Calvados) and an 'Atelier' as a workshop and bicycle storage. After Karin's passing in 2022, the 'Annex' was put into use as a summer house in 2024, named 'Villa Querina' in her honor. The hardwood in the house comes from Karin's father's plantation in Africa.

The current owner has interests in aviation, shipping, and mechanical engineering, with a specialty in shellfish processing. This is reflected in the shellfish collection in the holiday home. The Weather Vane on the roof of Villa Querina is a personal variant of the owner. It symbolizes wisdom, the love for aviation, and refers to the Art Nouveau elements in the house.

The black-painted wooden facade with white window frames is typical for Zeeland. In the past, the planks were protected with coal tar, but nowadays ecologically responsible paint types are used.

We hope that all temporary residents will have fond memories of their stay at Villa Querina.

Koudekerke, Summer 2024 Hans/Sam Smit