| Court Charity | |
| Map Type: | Paramaribo |
| Coordinates: | 5.8272°N -55.1631°W |
| Location Town: | Paramaribo |
| Location Country: |  Suriname |
| Client: | Foresters Friendly Society |
| Completion Date: | 13 November 1909[1] |
Court Charity is a friendly society of the Foresters Friendly Society. It is located on Burenstraat in the centre of Paramaribo, Suriname.[2] The building is a monument.[3]
J.F. Waakhuizen became interested in the Ancient Order of Foresters in neighbouring Georgetown, British Guiana, and wanted to establish a court in Suriname. The English headquarters gave permission on 8 December 1885,[4] and the court was inaugurated on 29 July 1886 as Court Charity no. 7416. A cacao warehouse in Burenstraat was acquired, and on 13 November 1909, the current building was inaugurated.[1] Originally, the court was part of the Guiana United District.[4]
The style of the building is atypical. There are some Surinamese elements like the galleries, but also two distinct towers and a mansard roof.[5] The meeting room is on the top floor. On the wall there are paintings like Good Samaritan. The ceiling is vault like and depicts a sky with moon and stars.[1] The building was declared a monument in 1994. In 2014, it was renovated with financial aid of the Dutch embassy.[6]
In 1928, the society started to grow. In 1938, Court Humanitas was founded to allow women in the society.[2] In 1972, the Court Charity of Suriname became an independent organisation. As of 2006, the society has 1,600 members over 17 courts. The members are mainly elderly Afro-Surinamese people, and the society has difficulty attracting younger members.
A notable member was Lou Lichtveld who wrote Geschiedenis en Ontstaan der Foresterie (1952) about the history of the society using the pseudonym J.B. Tenoten (Junior Beadle of Court 10010).