"How the Zaagmolenstraat and Surrounding Area in Leidschendam Changed from 1950 to the Present"

"Discover through photographs how the area transformed over the decades, as buildings disappeared and new ones rose in their place.
Those two houses, see the arrow, have certainly endured their share of urban changes throughout the years!"
"c. 1950 — ‘De Peperbus,’ the affectionate nickname for the Village-church at Delftsekade 7 in Leidschendam, is the oldest church in the village.
The building was constructed between 1647 and 1653, and it was officially put into use that same year."
"c. 1950, the centuries-old lock and the iconic Peperbus Church. The houses beside them had deteriorated into true slums, still somewhat presentable from the street, but badly run-down at the back.
In 1955, the houses were demolished to make room for extending the Damhouderstraat, allowing the steadily increasing automobile traffic to cross the drawbridge and continue farther into Leidschendam. The last residents were Mrs. A. H. Vis–Van Santen, P. M. J. Lelieveld, and in the final house D. A. Groenewegen and C. J. van der Kolk, marking the disappearance of yet another small piece of old Leidschendam."
"The rear side of the houses, which were demolished in 1955 to allow for the extension of the Damhouderstraat, tells the story on its own. Demolition was the only remaining option."
1957. Apartment buildings on Rijnlandstraat under construction. These same “flats” were demolished in 2016–2017 as part of the Leytsche Hof redevelopment project.
1957. In the foreground, the new apartment blocks on Rijnlandstraat rise toward Zaagmolenstraat. These flats, once part of the post-war optimism that shaped the neighborhood, were eventually demolished around 2016–2017, quietly closing a chapter of local history.
"c. 1958/1959, note the two semi-detached houses, see the arrow, as they clearly show how the streetscape has changed over the years."
"c. 1959.. Aerial photograph of the Rijnlandstraat and Delflandstraat. You can see that many greenhouses were still present, gradually becoming surrounded by new development over the years until they eventually disappeared entirely."
"c. 1959. Aerial photograph of the area around the Rijnlandstraat, visible in the upper right. In the foreground lies the Protestant Christian retirement center Schoorwijck.
To its right runs the Landscheidingstraat, and behind it the Petrus en Paulus Mulo where you can already see the foundation for the new classrooms in place.
At the very top of the image is the Zaagmolenstraat. In the lower left lies the Hendriks garden, while in the lower right runs the railway line of the Blue Tram.
And be sure to look at the upper right, where the two semi-detached houses at Zaagmolenstraat 102 and 104 stand, homes that would witness quite a lot of change in the years to come!"
"1959-  Zaagmolenstraat and surrounding area. Photo taken from the Petrus en Paulus Church, with plenty of greenery still visible, and even a small ditch remains.
The two semi-detached houses, The land next to the house is partly a garden, originally leased from the municipality and purchased in the 1970s.
The other part is municipal green space, beginning at the visible marker post. (Photo: Mr. A.A.M. Groenewegen)
"April 1960- Zaagmolenstraat and surrounding area. Photo taken from the Petrus en Paulus Church. (Photo by Mr. T. Groenewegen) The small ditch has since been filled in.
A large part of the garden at the corner house disappeared due to the widening of Rijnlandstraat, see also previously mentioned in photo 9. and was later converted into a sidewalk (pavement)."
"c. 1961- View from the Protestant Christian retirement center Schoorwijck looking toward the Landscheidingsstraat, Rijnlandstraat, and Zaagmolenstraat.
The building in the center is the Roman Catholic MULO Petrus en Paulus (Extended Lower Secondary School). The expansion of the new classrooms is not yet visible.
"c. 1961- Adjoining houses at the Protestant Christian retirement center Schoorwijck, with the sawmill ‘De Salamander’ on the left, and behind the apartment building to the right, the Cooperative Nooit Gedacht."
"c. 1965- The Roman Catholic MULO Petrus en Paulus on the Rijnlandstraat, with the  new classrooms  that had been built in the meantime."
"c. 1965- Overview of the relocated weekly market on Rijnlandstraat."
"c. 1965-View from left to right of Zaagmolenstraat and, on the right, Maalderijstraat. In the background, the sawmill De Salamander."
"1965- Damplein, seen from the apartment building on the corner of Damstraat and Zaagmolenstraat."
"c. 1967- Damplein, take a look at the parking spaces. Judging by them, a lot of motor oil must have been sold in the 1950s and ’60s."
February 1979. From the cupola of the Salamander, a historic sawmill, the city unfolds toward the southwest. Zaagmolenstraat stretches across the foreground, while a corner of the Petrus and Paulus MAVO peeks out on the right, capturing a quiet moment of neighborhood life.
"c. 1980- The beginning of Rijnlandstraat at the corner with Zaagmolenstraat, in other words RIGHT HERE
"c. 1980- Zaagmolenstraat seen from the corner of Rijnlandstraat. According to the Land Registry, the houses date from 1960. Jan Meester lived in the house with the dormer window.
The text on the facade of the neighbor's house on the right has a name on it and it reads "Jacqueline".
c. 1980. The gym on Zaagmolenstraat buzzed with activity as schools and local groups, including Gymnova, Sportlust, and the majorettes of Showband ’75, practiced and performed. Founded in Leidschendam, Showband ’75 brought music and color to the neighborhood, their lively routines a beloved part of community life.
"c. 1985- In 1968, the Petrus en Paulus MULO became an annex of the Veurs College, which was also located in Leidschendam.
The annex housed the MAVO program, while the main campus accommodated the HAVO and Atheneum levels.
"c. 1987- View of Zaagmolenstraat, Rijnlandstraat, Maalderijstraat, and Damplein."
"2018- Zaagmolenstraat and Rijnlandstraat, Leidschendam. The two semi-detached houses had withstood all the construction activities over the years.
As can be seen, much had been demolished and rebuilt, and the new apartments on Rijnlandstraat were still under construction at the time."
"c. 2000- Chinese restaurant ‘Ming Yeg’ on the corner of Zaagmolenstraat and Damlaan (left), seen from Damstraat".
2023-Corner of Zaagmolenstraat and Maalderijstraat, houses dating from 2021 according to the BAG viewer of the cadastre, see here using the search function."
2023-Rijnlandstraat Leidschendam
2023-Zaagmolenstraat and where the yellow arrow points, see here!  It is now driving somewhere in Eastern Europe or Africa."
De Salamander "Is a sawmill in Leidschendam. The mill was built in 1777 as a replacement for a predecessor that had burned down in the seventeenth century."
"In the early 1980s, only a ruin remained of the mill, as can be seen in this photograph."
"In 1989, De Salamander was rebuilt at a new location on the Vliet."
October 29, 2025-Accident on Zaagmolenstraat, Leidschendam. One person lightly injured and considerable material damage to vehicles and a house.
After withstanding many years of construction activities, the house still suffered a small ‘dent’ after all these years, but it could have been much worse."
While pulling out of a parking space on Zaagmolenstraat, a vehicle suddenly sped across the road, struck a parked car, and came to rest against the façade of a nearby home.
The driver suffered minor injuries and was treated on scene. He was driving a fully electric automatic car, and early indications suggest a possible technical malfunction.
The light-blue vehicle involved was reportedly still fairly new, though this has not been confirmed. The blue car in front absorbed most of the impact, likely preventing the light-blue car from ending up inside the home “without knocking,” which could have caused significantly more damage.
Amid the commotion, the driver’s groceries, including a bunch of bananas, were found quietly waiting on the doorstep, a small, almost gentle detail contrasting with the suddenness of the crash.
 
"With thanks of course, to the creator of the beautiful overview photographs taken from the tower of the Petrus en Paulus Church in Leidschendam
Sources: Municipality of Leidschendam, Leidschendam-Voorburg Collection, The Hague Municipal Archives, Wikipedia, Google Maps, M.A. van Dijken-Overmars,  F.J.A.M. van der Helm and others."
 
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