The History of "Het Burgemeestershuis"

The Burgemeestershuis was built in 1898 by order of Petrus Joannes François Van Ham, mayor of Lommel (1904-1921), provincial councilor and almost the most important figure in Lommel at the turn of the century. At the time, the villa was one of the few houses with one floor. From 1 July 1946 the villa was occupied by the couple, notary public Jan Vanduffel and Maria Kerkhofs. Notary Vanduffel bought the house with all appurtenances, depot and Park In de Hoeven (large 1ha, 14a, 48ca) on 9 May 1957 and, as owner of the property, converted the villa into a notary office. Popularly, the villa quickly got the name of the new owner. During the council meeting on September 5, 1995 it was decided to purchase the villa with surrounding garden, after which the purchase deed was executed on December 13, 1995. The renovation work started in July 1998. These works were part of one total project and included construction work on the house coach house and newsagent. The park around the house was also redesigned. The City Council renamed the villa and the park to the well-known name Het Burgemeestershuis and the Burgemeesterspark. After the renovation, the Burgemeestershuis was furnished to receive tourists and served as a starting point for the tourist exploration of Lommel. Cultural events have been organized in the public park since 2000. It is also a regular backdrop for TV recordings. Several times a year there are park concerts, with mainly famous Belgian artists performing. From 2002 it has been managed by the cultural center and the use of the house and park was expanded. For example, the house was often used for receptions and meetings of the local political parties. The park remains public to the population, its use unchanged. From 2014, the city council of Lommel wanted to house a high-quality restaurant in the Burgemeestershuis. "The salons were transformed into a luxury Louis XVI style restaurant." The current dining room is furnishe