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Take a walk down memory lane as we stroll through Heidelberg, learning about its historical buildings and how the town has evolved into what it is today.
This image of 1908 Heidelberg was used as a postcard cover.
Photos provided by Annie Stander.
This is the back of the photo which shows it was used as a postcard.
Background
Background
Heidelberg was established after churchgoers obtained permission to build their own Dutch Reformed Church in 1855.After negotiating with the farm owner Louis Fourie, they bought the Doornboom Church farm for 5,000 pounds, and Heidelberg was born.
The town got its name from the Heidelberg Catechism and the German town of Heidelberg. In 1855, the Heidelberg Congregation was formed, and the town developed around the church. The Duiwenhoks River had already been discovered during the time of Governor Simon van der Stel, during an expedition in 1689 led by Izak Schryver to do business with an Inqua tribe.
NG Church
NG Church
The historic NG Church is the second NG Church built in Heidelberg. In 1862, probationer Pastor Daneel received the call as the first minister, and in 1856, the first members of the consistory were installed, with the first four children baptized in the Old School Church. As the congregation grew, the need for a larger building arose, and the foundations for the new church were laid in 1872. The silver communion chalices and the baptismal font came from London. The second church building was consecrated in 1873. In 1910, Rev. and Mrs. Spies arrived to find the building in a state of dilapidation and persuaded the church council to construct a new church. In 1913, construction work started on the church as it stands today. In 1914, the building was consecrated debt-free. The church bell is an exceptional piece of work but is unfortunately not open to visitors.
The bell was decorated with a verse from 1 Peter 1 : 25 : ''But the word of the Lord remains for all eternity.''
Doornboom farmstead, also known as 'Fourie House', is the oldest house in the town. The house has been extensively renovated by the Fourie Trust, as you can see in the pictures. This single-story T-shaped house, with its sod- and mud-patched walls, trusses of yellowwood and poplar poles, and thatched roof with flaxen yarn, still stands after 296 years. It used to be the home of Louis Fourie, founding father of Heidelberg, who fled to South Africa in 1688 with the French Huguenots. In 1716, he obtained grazing rights from Governor Van der Stel on the Doornboom and ''De Duivenhoks aan de Wagendrif'' farms, and in 1733, Doornboom was registered in his name. Only one other farm in the district, ''onder d' Grootvadersbosch'', was allocated earlier (in 1729, to Roelof Oelofse), but that homestead was built later.
We would like to thank the following people for assisting, editing and capturing data: Hilè du Plessis, Pieter van der Bank, Wollie Grobler, Tina Crouse and Louise Kluyts. The original translations was done by Cheryl Reeve. Thank you tannie Glenn Uys for your foresight years ago to collect newspaper clippings of Heidelberg. Special thanks to Sonja le Roux for her support and open office for our town.
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