Smilde


Smilde is a town in the Netherlands' northern province of Drenthe and lies about southwest of the province capital of Assen. Smilde was a separate municipality until 1998, when it became a part of Middenveld. However, that name changed in 2000 and was renamed the municipality of Midden-Drenthe.

History

The village was first mentioned in 1846 as Smilde. The etymology is unclear. Smilde is an elongated canal village which developed around 1770. Between 1767 and 1780, the was dug to excavate the peat in the area. The first settlement was called Kloosterveen and was later renamed to Smilde.
The Dutch Reformed church was built between 1780 and 1788 in Louis XVI style. It was restored in 1963. The former town hall was originally built as a villa in Renaissance Revival style and was named Villa Maria. In 1931, it became town hall.
Smilde was home to 1,675 people in 1840. Smilde was an independent municipality until 1998 when it was merged into Midden-Drenthe.

Education

There are two primary schools, De Schutkampen and Prinses Margriet.

People from Smilde