The Dam, Edam
This is considered to be the centre of the town. lf you orientate yourself with the Carillon as west, you can see to the north of the Dam, Edam's oldest brick house, the museum. The DAM, incorporating lock gates, was built in 1544 on the orders of Emperor Karel V. After many years of disputes over the locks, they finally accepted responsibility for their upkeep in 1701 and, to mark this event, two coats of arms were placed in the quay side. The DAM SQUARE was laid in 1624 and on the right of it is the former Butter Hall, called the "Lancester", a name nobody knows the origin of. It has a 19th century wooden colonnade of Tuscan pillars and stands on the site of the prior Market Building.
