The History Route - a snapshot of Heidelberg's past
The History Route - a snapshot of Heidelberg's past
Embedded Files
Old English Graveyard
The route starts at this old cemetery connected to the St. Matthews Anglican Church and School Church of Reverend P.T. Blant in van Riebeeck Street.
The Old English Graveyard is the starting point of the Heidelberg History Walk in the Western Cape. Linked in local heritage accounts to St Matthew’s Anglican Church and the former church school in Van Riebeeck Street, it offers a quiet connection to the town’s early community and religious life. Local history also identifies it as the original burial place of Petrus Jacobus Bellingan, who died after being wounded during the fighting in Heidelberg in September 1901. His remains were later returned to his family for reburial. The cemetery’s surviving headstones preserve traces of individual lives and form a valuable part of Heidelberg’s historical landscape.
This graveyard is listed with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission project.
Image courtesy: The War in Heidelberg: a case study on the effects of the South African War on Cape Afrikaner identity. by Johannes Jochemus Gildenhuys 2016
Dr Henry Grave Biggs
The Doctor’s House is associated with Dr Henry Grave Biggs, originally from Reading, England. He established his practice in 1874, becoming the town’s first permanent doctor. The Cape Colony’s medical register independently supports his presence in Heidelberg and records his colonial medical licence dated 27 May 1874, although it spells his name “Henry Graves Biggs.”
Biggs also served for many years as mayor, contributing to Heidelberg’s civic life as well as its medical care. He died in 1913. His English origins and mayoral service are supported by Gildenhuys’s historical research, which cites municipal records and his death notice.
The residence is linked to the South African War. During the attack on Heidelberg on 13 September 1901, two horses belonging to Biggs were taken, and the young Boer combatant Petrus Jacobus Bellingan was fatally wounded near the stables behind his residence.
According to local history, the post of district doctor was created in 1942—a later development, separate from Biggs’s private practice.
Firefly Studio, currently housed in the property, adds a creative chapter to its history. Although its construction date and Biggs’s exact years of residence remain unconfirmed, the Doctor’s House connects visitors with Heidelberg’s medical, civic, wartime and artistic heritage.
To continue on the route, turn left as you stand facing the house.
Congregational Church -
The Historic “Indepente Kerk”
37 Van Riebeeck Street
The history of Heidelberg’s Congregational Church dates back to 1856, when Reverend Henry Charles Helm began holding Sunday services beneath an old thorn tree on the property where St Barnabas Anglican Church stands today.
Helm had strong connections to the London Missionary Society and the mission station at Zuurbraak, established in 1812. His work among the local community, including the Hessequa people, laid the foundation for what would become one of Heidelberg’s oldest congregations.
Recognising the need for a permanent place of worship, the town authorities donated two plots for the construction of a church. With generous financial assistance from prominent local businessman Charles Kingsley Hopkins, the building was completed and officially inaugurated on 11 May 1859. Hopkins remained closely involved with the congregation, and his contributions helped settle the church's building debt within five years.
Initially associated with the Zuurbraak mission, the congregation chose independence in 1872 and formally separated following the death of Reverend Daniel Helm in 1873. It became known locally as the “Indepente Kerk”, a name that remains part of Heidelberg’s historical identity.
The congregation grew steadily, from just 19 members in 1861 to more than 100 worshippers by 1873. Historical accounts describe Sunday evening services attended by both black and white residents, reflecting the church’s significant role in the town's early community life.
In 1884, under Reverend Thomas Gamble, the church was enlarged with a northern wing to accommodate the growing congregation. The building retains distinctive elements of nineteenth-century Cape vernacular architecture, including its stepped buttresses, bell gable and yellowwood roof timbers.
The church's history took a painful turn during apartheid. In 1977, the property was expropriated under the Group Areas Act, and ownership was transferred to the Heidelberg Municipality. The congregation was displaced, much of the historic interior was removed, and the building was subsequently used as a crèche. Its original yellowwood pews disappeared, while parts of the pulpit were transferred to the congregation's newer church.
Following South Africa's transition to democracy and a lengthy restitution process, the historic property was returned to the congregation in 2007. By then, years of neglect had left the building in a deteriorated condition.
In 2023, the J.F. Neumann Congregational Church congregation launched a major restoration initiative, estimated at approximately R1 million. The project sought not only to preserve the historic structure but also to return it to meaningful use for religious activities and the wider Heidelberg community.
The Congregational Church remains an important landmark on Heidelberg's Historical Walking Route. More than 165 years after its inauguration, its story reflects the town's missionary heritage, the contributions of its early residents, the injustices of forced removals and the resilience of a congregation determined to reclaim its heritage.
Today, the “Indepente Kerk” stands as a lasting symbol of faith, community, restitution and Heidelberg's rich multicultural history.
Sources and Further Reading
Sources and Further Reading
Artefacts – Congregational Church, Heidelberg
Architectural history, founding dates, congregation growth, 1884 alterations, expropriation and restitution.Suid-Kaap Forum – Gemeente wil ou kerk restoureer (26 February 2023)
Restoration programme, estimated costs and the congregation's plans for the building.Cape Argus – Historically Significant Garden Route Church in Appeal for Funds (10 March 2023)
The effects of apartheid-era expropriation and the community's efforts to recover and restore the church.National Archives of South Africa – Reverend Henry Charles Helm
Archival photograph and biographical record of the church's founding minister.
Rectory of Congregational Church
35 Van Riebeeck Street
Known today as Roxton House, this historic Victorian-style residence once served as the rectory of Heidelberg's Congregational Church, affectionately known as the “Indepente Kerk.”
According to local historical accounts, the adjoining church was the only building standing in this part of the street in 1902. The rectory was constructed in 1904, providing accommodation for the minister and becoming part of the growing Congregational Church community.
The house reflects the congregation's tradition of working together. Local accounts record that the church council raised the funds to construct the verandah, while members of the church choir financed the addition of a bathroom.
The building also forms part of Heidelberg's artistic heritage. A painting of the rectory, attributed to Ann van der Walt, is recorded as belonging to the Hessequa Municipal Art Collection.
One of the colourful personalities associated with the church was Izak November, remembered locally as the man responsible for ringing the church bell.
According to oral tradition, he would remark that whenever God visited Heidelberg, He always came to the “Indepente Kerk.”
Another of his sayings carried a humorous warning about temptation:
“Most people make the mistake that when they throw the devil out of their hearts, they leave a chair behind, so it is quite easy for him to get comfortable again.”
These recollections preserve something of the humour, faith and character of Heidelberg's earlier generations.
Today, the old rectory remains a valuable part of the town's architectural and social heritage, recalling the lives of the ministers, church members and local personalities who contributed to Heidelberg's history.
Independent Sources
Independent Sources
Garden Route Travel Guide – Historic Route, Heidelberg
Identifies Roxton House at 35 Van Riebeeck Street as the former Congregational Church rectory and describes its Victorian architecture.
https://explorersgardenroute.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Travel-Guide-E-Format.pdfArtefacts – Congregational Church, Heidelberg
Architectural history of the adjoining church, including its nineteenth-century development and published historical references.
https://artefacts.co.za/main/Buildings/bldgframes_mob.php?bldgid=15987University of the Free State – The Cradle of Congregationalism in the Lower Orange River Region
Academic research containing information about Reverend Alexander Stewart and the Congregational Church in Heidelberg.
https://scholar.ufs.ac.za/server/api/core/bitstreams/5c71237b-373e-47d7-9693-5a3a1fbc8c7f/contentAlexander Stewart (1956) – 1856–1956: Die verhaal van die Independente Congregational Kerk
Congregational centenary history, listed in the Artefacts bibliography. A valuable potential primary source for further verification of the rectory's early history.
Heidelberg Town Hall
C/o Niekerk & Van Riebeeck Street
Heidelberg's impressive Town Hall is one of the town's most recognisable architectural landmarks and has stood at the centre of its civic and social life for more than a century.
The foundation stone of the present building was laid on 10 August 1912 by Mayor Richard T. Miller, with construction completed in 1913. It was Heidelberg's second Town Hall, replacing an earlier building dating from approximately 1887.
According to local historical accounts, the original Town Hall had fallen into considerable disrepair. Its attic was even used to store fodder for the municipality's working animals. Eventually, the building was destroyed by fire. Local folklore suggests that some residents welcomed its destruction, considering the deteriorating condition of the old structure. The story remains one of Heidelberg's more amusing historical anecdotes.
An interesting architectural mystery is the foundation stone dated 1887, which can still be found in the present building. Although the current Town Hall was constructed in 1912–1913, the earlier stone is believed to have been preserved from Heidelberg's original Town Hall. This would explain why the building carries a date that predates its actual construction by approximately 25 years. The South African architectural database Artefacts also identifies this discrepancy, suggesting that the stone originated from an earlier building.
The replacement Town Hall was an ambitious public building for a small rural community. Its impressive symmetrical façade reflects early twentieth-century architectural influences, with elements reminiscent of the Cape Dutch Revival style. The central entrance features large wooden doors, a distinctive semicircular fanlight and an ornate curved gable. Tall wooden-framed windows extend along the frontage, while two projecting wings, each with a decorative gable and small circular window, create the building's characteristic balanced appearance.
As Heidelberg developed, so did its municipal facilities. In 1931, the Town Hall was enlarged to accommodate a library, expanding its role as a centre of education and community life. Further additions followed in 1962, when municipal offices were constructed on the Van Niekerk Street side of the building.
From the 1950s onwards, the Town Hall became a popular entertainment venue. Film screenings brought the excitement of cinema to Heidelberg, while dances, concerts, school performances, public meetings and other social occasions made the hall an important gathering place for generations of residents.
The Town Hall also reflects the development of local government in Heidelberg. The town's municipal history extends back to 1862, when its first municipal regulations were proclaimed. Over the years, the building witnessed the changing responsibilities of local administration and the growth of the surrounding community.
Today, the Town Hall continues to serve Heidelberg as a venue for public meetings, cultural activities and community events. Its distinctive white and grey façade, decorative gables and architectural character make it a prominent landmark on the town's Historical Walking Route.
More than a century after its construction, Heidelberg's Town Hall remains a symbol of civic pride and community life, while its mysterious 1887 foundation stone provides a fascinating physical link to the town's nineteenth-century history.
Sources and Further Reading
Sources and Further Reading
Artefacts – Heidelberg Town Hall
Architectural record identifying the present building's 1912 origins and the 1887 foundation stone believed to have come from an earlier structure.
https://artefacts.co.za/main/Buildings/bldgframes.php?bldgid=14031Garden Route & Klein Karoo – Heidelberg Town Hall
Records the building's 1913 construction and provides an architectural description.
https://gardenrouteandkleinkaroo.co.za/heidelberg-town-hall/National Archives of South Africa – Town Hall, Heidelberg, Cape Colony
Historical photographic postcard preserved in the Hopkins Collection, Cape Town Archives Repository. Reference: HOP2429.
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.za/node/9469354AtoM Central – Town Clerk, Municipality Heidelberg
Archival record documenting Heidelberg's municipal administration, including municipal regulations dating to 1862.
https://atom.dac.gov.za/index.php/town-clerk-heidelberg-1903-1955Hessequa Municipality – Municipal Tariffs 2026/2027
Official municipal information confirming the Town Hall's continuing use as a community facility.
https://www.hessequa.gov.za/
Heidelberg Post Office
Heidelberg Post Office
50 Van Riebeeck Street
One of Heidelberg's most photographed landmarks, the beautiful stone Post Office, was constructed in 1936. With its distinctive stone façade, red-tiled roof and symmetrical design, the building has become an architectural icon of this historic Garden Route town.
The façade features two entrances framed by stone arches, with matching windows positioned between them. Above the windows, a decorative pointed gable proudly displays the name of the Post Office and the year 1936. The traditional red postbox outside adds a charming reminder of an earlier era of communication.
However, Heidelberg's postal history began long before this building existed.
The First Post Office – 1856
The First Post Office – 1856
Heidelberg's first postal service was established just months after the town's founding in 1855. The original Post Office operated from Reitz Street, with Fritz Meeser appointed as the town's first postmaster on 15 March 1856.
Historical postal records reveal that on 15 February 1856, George Chamberlain, the postmaster of Swellendam, recommended the establishment of a post office in the new settlement. Meeser, who had recently opened a shop in Heidelberg, was proposed as a suitable candidate.
His annual salary was just six pounds (£6), supplemented by commission earned from selling postage stamps. Only basic equipment, including a cancellation stamp and ink pad, was needed to establish the service.
At first, Heidelberg even shared a mailbag with the nearby Rietkuil Post Office, which had previously served residents along the Duivenhoks River.
In 1858, Meeser reportedly became Heidelberg's first constable, adding another responsibility to his role in the developing town.
A Landmark Connecting Two Heidelbergs
A Landmark Connecting Two Heidelbergs
One of the building's most interesting associations is its connection to Heidelberg in Germany, after which the South African town was named.
The two towns share more than a name. Their historical and cultural connections have made the South African Post Office a favourite photographic stop, particularly among German visitors.
Its architecture and name have attracted tourists who enjoy recording their visit to Heidelberg in South Africa, a small town with a distinctly European historical connection.
A Postbox with Its Own Story
A Postbox with Its Own Story
The traditional red postbox is another distinctive feature of the building's heritage.
A fascinating account published in The South African Philatelist in 1992 records that Heidelberg's postmaster had suggested installing a secure mailbag box near the N2, making it easier to collect mail.
The article also noted that farmers and tourists continued to use the red postbox at Heidelberg's Post Office. Even a letter posted there on 10 August 1992 received the town's customary Heidelberg, Cape postmark.
A Lasting Piece of Heidelberg's Heritage
A Lasting Piece of Heidelberg's Heritage
From a modest postal service established in 1856 to the impressive stone building erected in 1936, Heidelberg's postal history reflects the growth of the town and the importance of communication in rural communities.
Today, the building remains a much-loved landmark on Heidelberg's Historical Walking Route, connecting nearly two centuries of local history with the town's enduring German heritage.
For visitors, it is more than an old Post Office. It is a reminder of the days when handwritten letters connected distant communities, and a favourite place to capture a photograph in Heidelberg, South Africa.
Sources and Further Reading
Sources and Further Reading
The South African Philatelist – February 1996, Vol. 72, No. 1
Historical research into the establishment of Heidelberg's postal service, the appointment of F. Meeser, his salary, the recommendation of George Chamberlain and the relationship with the Rietkuil Post Office.
Read archival publicationThe South African Philatelist – April 1981, Vol. 57, No. 4
Independent historical listing confirming F. Meeser's appointment as deputy postmaster on 15 March 1856.
Read archival publicationThe South African Philatelist – June 1992, Vol. 68, No. 6
Historical article discussing Heidelberg's postal heritage, the red postbox, N2 mail collection and the town's postal markings.
Read archival publicationGarden Route & Klein Karoo – Stone Post Office
Independent architectural description of the 1936 building, its stone arches, roof, gable and significance as a photographic landmark.
https://gardenrouteandkleinkaroo.co.za/stone-post-office/Hessequa Tourism – Garden Route Travel Guide (2020)
Identifies the Post Office as a historic landmark and discusses its association with Heidelberg in Germany.
https://explorersgardenroute.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Travel-Guide-E-Format.pdf
Heidelberg Hotel
The date on the gable of the hotel ,1932, refers to the year the hotel was renovated , as the exact date of construction is unknown. The building is estimated to be over a hundred years old. According to eyewitnesses, there used to be iron posts where the pillars currently are.
The bar was originally part of the stables. Renato de Sa Perreira bought the hotel in 1984. Following a serious fire in 2000, Kobus Meyer bought and fully restored it.
In 2015, the new owners, Charles and Cecile Kleynhans, also took on the immense task of restoring this unique building to its former glory, creating elegant reception and dining areas.
Church Square
Turn left into Swart Street.
The Otto Hager Church ( second Dutch Reformed Church) was built on the Church Square in 1873. Church Square was used as a camping place for the congregation and outspan their animals.
The Church Council decided in 1930 to move the rectory to the Church Square, and built the new church hall and rectory. A well known Paarl architect W.H. Louw was involved with this large project in 1931.
They consequently sold the properties in Fourie Street and amalgamated these properties.
The church hall was completed in 1931 and the building was sponsored by Dukkie Uys. There is a stained glass window with the letters UYS as part of the design.
New Dutch Reformed Rectory
In the 1930s Heidelberg went through a growth spurt with the 2 new buildings, the church hall and rectory, that made a huge impact on the town . That combined with the 75 year old commemorative festival made this a special year for Heidelberg.
Heidelberg stood together with a great sense of community and everyone helped with fundraises and donations.
The rectory cost over 2000 pounds of which 1400 pounds were collected at the thanksgiving festival of the church. This was a year of unprecedented giving. Pastor van Wyk was the first pastor to stay inside the new modern rectory.
Between 1932 and 1953 the rest of the church square was developed and gardens were laid out. Since 1936 the clock in the tower is being lit at night by electricity.
Boarding House
In 1919 the church council rented the property from Mr H. Swart for 75 pounds a year. It was later rented to the manager of Standard Bank.
Euphemia van Eeden, an entrepreneurial woman of her time, started her own business, after she left her husband, together with her two children, and bought this property in the early 1960s.
She established a boarding house for young women, and was said to be extremely strict when it came to men visiting girlfriends on the premises.She sold the property in 1974.
Dr Moodie had his consulting rooms here before it was sold to the Barnard family in the late 1970s.
Boshoff Visser occupied this building from 1999
until 2007, when it became a private residence.
Heidelberg High School
Continue past School.
Further down this road at the T-junction on the right is the Culla Uys Nature Garden.
The first government supported school was in the first church in Fourie Street in 1857.
In 1894 the school had its first 6 students in what was then known as “school higher”.
In 1904 a new school was built on the Church Square with church funds, but by 1911 it was too small. In 1912 a new school building was built on this site, and the older school was converted to a girls’ hostel.
In 1913 the school had 170 pupils, with six teachers. The school council was established in 1931.
The existing school hostel, Merwena, was built in 1952.
Map of Doornboom Farm with section layout for Heidelberg Village
General info
At the stop turn right and walk down towards Fourie Street
In the 1700s the Knysna Forest stretched from Caledon all the way to Knysna. A huge fire destroyed it, apart from a stretch that survived at Grootvadersbosch. Before the fire, it was overgrown where the town is now situated.
The crossing of the Duiwenhoks River was about 10 kilometres further down towards Diepkloof.
Heidelberg was established in 1855 when a group of farmers went to the Dutch Reformed Church in Riversdale and Swellendam to get permission to build a Church in Heidelberg.
With this approval they contacted Mr Louis Fourie and bought a piece of the Doornboom Farm for 5 000 pounds. This included grazing rights where the golf course is now situated below. They had 50 erwen laid out and it was sold on auction with a profit of 4900 pounds. This profit is still missing!
According to the story Mr Fourie decided to use this area put aside for grazing for the town, for his own animals. The property holders took him to court where he was fined 5 pounds.
Henry Hall's House
Second house on the right .
Henry Hall started the Congregational Church in Heidelberg. He moved there in 1820 from Zuurbraak where his father was a pastor.
He served as a pastor here, but needing an extra income, he built his first house and adjacent shop where St. Barnabas Anglican Church stands today.
The great flood in 1875 destroyed the property along with twenty nine other houses. The congregation then bought the property, deeming it safe from flooding and built the house.
Old Mill
Lotz House
This is one of the first private residences in Heidelberg.
At the back is the original stable of Doornboom Farm.
The original wooden troughs for feeding the horses are still on the property and in good condition.
Doornboom Opstal
In 1733 the farm was granted to Louis Fourie. Four generations of the Fourie family lived in the
Doornboom Homestead. In 1855 the town of Heidelberg was laid out on a portion of the Doornboom Farm.
In 1876 Pieter J. Uys bought the property. His grandson, the N.G. Kerk Historian, Reverend Charles Hopkins was born there.
The homestead was declared a national monument in 1996. In 2004 the Fourie Trust was established by Henk Rall, Jurie Uys and Jan Geldenhuys.
The trust bought the homestead, in a derelict state,and it was gradually restored to its original state.
On Heritage Day in 2008, with great fanfare, the house was opened to the public after being restored.
Part of the Hessequa Municipal Art Collection
Artist: Sonja Malherbe
Brugsig
This house gained its name from the view inside
onto the railway bridge. During the Boer Wars the railway bridges were an important part of battle strategies. This particular house was used as a sanctuary for farm women and children. It has been told that a farm worker and his child rode to the house when they were being shot at.
The child jumped from the horse and was supposedly shot dead, his father, marked by the riflemen as a spy, rode on under fire and completed his mission.
Today bullet-holes still exist in the front door, as well as a framed bullet inside the house.
In 1918 the headmaster of Heidelberg High School had seven pupils under his care while he lived at Brugsig.
Part of the Hessequa Municipal Art Collection
Artist: Louise Kluyts
Swart Home
This is one of the first private residences in Heidelberg. This house was built in the early 1800s.
Pieter Swart, laid the foundation stone for the First NG Church in 1856.
All these old houses are built with mud and thick walls with stone foundations.
The span inside this house is typical of the older building methods, no wider than 3 meters to accommodate the roof.
It is a double story with high ceilings.
Part of the Hessequa Municipal Art Collection
Artist: Danielle Louw
Farriers House
It took a day by horse to get to Heidelberg from Swellendam. Travellers stopped at Duivenhoks River for the night to cross the river the next morning.
This time was used for washing, hunting and repairing.
The Farrier delivered a valuable service to travellers and to Doornboom Farmstead by shoeing horses and fixing broken wagon wheels.
The 11 room “Family” house was used as a boarding house and the house around the corner was the farrier’s house with the workshop at the rear.
Prior to that it was the maternity ward where all the district babies were born. A midwife delivered the infants.
Part of the Hessqua Municipal Art Collection.
Artist: Pierre Oosthuizen, who lived in this house with his mother and passed away there in 2015.
Old Dutch Reformed Rectory
This house was used for 70 years as the first Rectory of the NG Church.
Pastor Daneel stayed here and one of his children scratched the name Daneel on a window. This early graffiti is still visible today.
In 1860 a single story rectory was completed. As the Daneel family increased a second story was added. Sixty years later the house had deteriorated and had to be restored to a single story again.
In 1931 it was sold on public auction and became a private dwelling.
Ds Daneel and his family on holiday at Witsand, 1880.
First Dutch Reformed Church
After the completion of the first Dutch Reformed Church on the 18th of December 1856 Pastor Borcherds established the first church council and the first four children were baptised.
The congregation had 300 members.
Reverend Daneel became the first reverend for Heidelberg and he stayed until he died in 1899.
In history it is written that his arrival caused quite a stir as members of the congregation travelled halfway to Swellendam to meet him and rode back to town with him.
The original building was demolished after 1931 and a new private residence was built.
This building was used as the first school. After the building of the second (Hager) Church (1872), it was only used as a school. Next door, along the railway track, in Reitz Street, the vestry is still in good condition. This is where the church council used to hold their meetings before and after church.
Konsistorie NG Kerk
This building was used as an office and a meeting place for the elders and deacons of the church.
The congregation needed extra space as the church was used as a school.
Brian Bradshaw's House
In 2003 Professor Brian Bradshaw, a well known South African
artist, bought this house from Pieter de Boa Rademan.
He stayed in the house on Reitz Street with his wife, fellow
artist Madelein, and used the adjoining house in Fourie street as his studio. He gutted the studio on the inside to create a space filled with light for his artwork.
The place was restored again by new owners in 2014. The professor taught art at Grahamstown University and was well known for writing a Manifesto for artist to live and work by. He started a whole new art movement in Grahamstown (1960s)with group of artist that became part of the South African art history.
His studio in Heidelberg contained his life’s work from diaries and sketchbooks from his childhood, to drawings, etchings and over 150 paintings spanning his very productive artistic career. The studio contents comprise the archive now formalised as the Brian Bradshaw Foundation housed at the Martin Melck House in Cape Town where his legacy, art and influence can be preserved, studied and exhibited.
In 2013 at the age of 90, Bradshaw returned to the United Kingdom.”
Reitz Street & Railway
In 1904 the company, New Cape Central Railways built a railway line past Heidelberg.
The town council had to decide whether they wanted the railway line through or around the town.
The widest road in town was Reitz Street and it was decided to built the railway line through it.
The Town Post Office was situated on this road. Today it is a residential house.
In 1931 the ratepayers association installed electricity in Heidelberg.
1952-1953 the first two roads, Eksteen and van Riebeeck Street, in town were tarred.
First Post Office
In 1904 the company, New Cape Central Railways built a railway line past Heidelberg.
The town council had to decide whether they wanted the railway line through or around the town.
The widest road in town was Reitz Street and it was decided to built the railway line through it.
The Town Post Office was situated on this road. Today it is a residential house.
In 1931 the ratepayers association installed electricity in Heidelberg.
1952-1953 the first two roads, Eksteen and van Riebeeck Street, in town were tarred.
Here is a photo of the building when it was used as a school. Below is photo that was used for the program for the opening of the old age home.
Huis Zenobia
Where Huis Zenobia is now situated, a new school was built in 1904 on church property, but by 1910 it was too small for the 140 pupils attending.
A larger school was built in 1912 and the old building became a hostel for fee paying girls. In 1921 the school council wanted to close the hostel. After an appeal from Pastor P. van Huyssteen it was changed into a charity hostel called Spieshof. This hostel opened with 26 children under headmaster J. Venter. Consequently the poor rural community from surrounding farms could also attend the school.
At the end of 1930 it became the Goeie Hoop Boarding House and eventually became the present day old age home in 1961.
Huis Zenobia is named after Pastor Piet du Toit’s wife.
Nagmaal Huis
Heidelberg was built around the NG Church. Farmers from the area came to town for communion and would then do their business in town and stay an extra day or two, usually with family and friends.
Transport was by horseback or ox/horse wagons so it could take up to 2 days to get back to the farms.
The whole family would come to town, and trade for sugar, coffee, flour with milk, eggs, meat and vegetables.
The farmers built their own ‘Nagmaal Kamers’ or rooms to stay in and up to 7 people could stay overnight in one of these rooms.
Typical to these old houses, there was an outhouse as a bathroom and the kitchen was also outdoors. The indoor rooms were used to store valuables and sleep in.
The left building in front is the counting house
Barry Counting House
The company ‘Barry and Nephews’ ran their wool export business from this premises. in the mid to late 1800s.
They brought prosperity to Heidelberg through the selling of Merino wool and exporting the wool to England
A five Pound Barry banknote was in circulation and could be exchanged in Swellendam or Cape Town. This note was readily acceptable everywhere. These note were their means of monetary exchange and even though large sums were not kept at counting houses for fear of robberies,. There were instances of daring robberies, for example at this counting house in 1865.
As usual Mr. Benford the cashier had gone for dinner, leaving Mr Joseph Barry in the office. Mr. Barry left the office for scarcely 10 minutes. He was busy with preparations for his departure to attend the sale of the wreck of the Kadie ( Steamship). When when he returned he found that the lock of the money drawer had been forced open and a large amount of the notes stolen.
The banknote of ‘Barry and Nephews’ are of great historical importance as they signify a step up in the economic ladder of a vast track of land.
In 1891, the pastor testifies that he was girded with new courage and strength "because in preaching the Word he found many blessings in front of his own soul", but for Heidelberg's faithful and zealous pastor, the end of his fruitful and blessed ministry had come . On December 12, 1898, Rev. Daneel for the last time in the chair at a church council meeting and for the last time he closed the minutes in his large and clear handwriting with the words: "Closed with thanksgiving." When the next meeting was held, he was seriously ill and two days later he passed away. A little nail in his boot injured his foot and because he had been suffering from chronic diabetes for some time, a cold set in so that he had to be transported to Riversdal on Sunday 19 March 1899 where dr. De Vos thought to put the leg down. However, it was already too late, his family relations were called to come and say goodbye to him and on Wednesday morning 22 March 1899 at 18:45 he arrived at the house of Mr. and Mrs. Meent Borcherds "zacht en zalig in den Heere" passed away, after he left a message to his spouse, his children and his congregation. The last words that came to his lips were: “Amazed! Amazed!! Behold! Behold!”
Ds Daneel's Resting place
After struggling for so long to find a pastor of their own since the congregation's foundation in 1855, the congregation was blessed to find the man who was destined to become the first pastor of Heidelberg. In the prime of his life, cork. Alexander Berthin Daneel came to the young congregation to lay down the pilgrim's staff almost 37 years later when he was still tirelessly dedicating his mature energies to the congregation of his first love. For the congregation of Heidelberg, it was a happy day when they packed. Daneel was able to welcome and the "temporary church building" was "crammed full" on the occasion of his inaugural address. According to tradition, the young proponent was welcomed along the ancient road to Swellendam, between Heidelberg and Karnmelks River, at the place which in later years was still known as Daneelshoogte. The journey by postcar from Cape Town could certainly not have been very convenient, because from his first letter from Heidelberg to his fiancee, dated 17 September 1862, one learns that the five passengers who left at five o'clock in the morning of 8 September left the city, on the two benches of the postcar were already "sitting like pickled herring". At Eersterivier station, Pieter Krige, a deacon from Heidelberg who was visiting his family relations in Stellenbosch, also had to join, and "then we had the prospect of sitting so close to each other for two days in a row that we could hardly move. However, the passengers were kind enough to give me one of the most comfortable seats".
Mrs. Daneel could continue to live in the rectory until another pastor would take up the profession to Heidelberg and her late husband's salary would be paid to her for another two months. It was also immediately decided that the combined church council would place a dignified stone on his grave by private subscription. The commission that had to take care of it consisted of the brothers Danie Gildenhuys, Louis Kunz and Henry Uys.
Joseph Barry
Barry House - Masonic Hotel
This property belonged to ‘Barry and Nephews’ who ran a huge shipping company from Port Beaufort.
This was their base in Heidelberg where they ran the export of merino wool and where they held auctions in the town hall which boosted the town’s economy.
This house has an interesting tale about it. February 1866 Mrs. Barry had a birthday party and sent dessert to two families (20 people), all of whom fell sick the next day. Two days later, 2 doctors arrived, but Mrs. Barry herself passed away. Both doctors suspected arsenic poisoning as the cause.
More than 50 years later, on 11 October 1919 the church council decided to buy the property for 3 500 pounds from
Captain Hanson, the owner, because they saw it as a negative reflection on the parish. The bar was situated directly across the gate from the church. The church eventually rented it to a Mr Swart who used it as a boardinghouse.
Boer & Brit Building
This building was home to the West Yorkshire Regiment. Major
Mahon was the commander of the Regiment.
On 13 September 1901 Commandant Scheepers of
Swellendam district, and his commando entered Heidelberg.
The British fired at the commando. Six British soldiers were
wounded and three died.
The farmers also had losses. The wounded remained when
Scheepers left. Two died including a 21 year old Scottish boy from Aberdeen, Peter Bellingam.
The British didn’t want the death of the three British soldiers made public. Out of desperation they decided to bury the bodies underneath the floorboards. The skeletons were discovered whilerenovating in the cellar. After a town meeting it was decided toleave the skeletons there and cover them with cement.
Years later Jeff Davis bought the building, and opened a general store called “Boer and Brit”.
In 1910 South Africa became a union. Britain, in agreement with the new SA Government declared that all property and grounds belong to South Africa, with the exception of grounds where
British soldiers were buried. So, technically this building is on British soil!
Part of the Hessequa Municipal Art Collection.
Artist: Milda Strydom
St. Barnabas Anglican Church
The Old English Church was built in 1860 further down van Riebeeck Street and 16 pupils started their schooling there.
After the 1879 severe floods when 40 houses were destroyed, including Henry Helm’s house and the Indepente Church on this site, this part of the town had to be rebuilt. The Church bought the Rectory next door and in 1889 laid the foundations for a new church.
This building has connections with the High Church of England. Beautiful lead glass windows adorn the church.The inside of the church has an intimate atmosphere.
Part of the Hessequa Municipal Art collection.
Artist: Hans Lachman
Old Police Station
This building was the old police station, together with horse stables and three cells at the back.
In 1934 the building was bought with the cells still at the back but the stables had already been destroyed.
It became a residence, but is now a medical center.
Canal
The Doorn River that today trickles through town was known as the mighty Doorn River.
Normally the ‘Stinkrivier’, as it was known, meandered peacefully through the town, but when in flood, it became a seething monster capable of wreaking havoc.
In 1867 the first flood that hit Heidelberg destroyed buildings. On 24 December 1875 forty-three houses were destroyed. Captain Thomas Linlay, the magistrate of
Swellendam, in July 1876, assisted in getting the Heidelberg Canal Law passed to built the canal in one deep straight line. The canal again flooded on 24 December 2005 with no major damage to permanent structures.
Aan de Kanal
The bridge over the canal was built in 1938 with a loan of 3500 pounds, It was opened by J.H. Conradie. Before the canal was built the biggest flood to hit Heidelberg was on 24 December 1875. Two people drowned and 40 houses got damaged or were destroyed.
The town decided that it needed to channel the flow of the Doornriver (Stinke river) to prevent future flood damage to the town. The government supplied labour and the town supplied the materials and machinery.
On 24 December 2005 the river came in flood over this bridge with Eksteen Street flooding, but no houses were lost.
Lombardië
This building dates back to 1857. This plot, nr 3 is one of the first erwen developed for residential purposes in Heidelberg.
The Lombard family bought it in the 1920s. One large room facing the road was turned into a general dealer.
Chris Lombard, a well known South-African writer, grew up in this house, and he returned here when he retired. He shared the house with Jannie Gildenhuys until they passed away. Actor Wim Vorster inherited the house from Chris in 2012.
Part of the Hessequa Municipal Art Collection . Artist Louise Kluyts
Delaquerre
Johanna Groenewalt and Joan Hopkins were friends in Heidelberg for 26 years.
When Joan died in 2006 Johanna inherited this house which is named
Delaquerre after Johanna’s maiden name.
The name means ‘of the war’ in French. Her great-grandfather was from France. He was Napoleon’s sword bearer and you can see the sword on display in the Swellendam Museum.
Rugby and Sport
Turn left at stop street and walk past sportsgrounds.
In 1910 where the rugby field is situated today there was a horse racecourse. Initially it was popular with the general public, but by 1912 due to excessive betting and unsavoury activities it was closed down. It was then changed into the
‘Rugbyveld’ with the pavilion and attached amenities.
De Waal
The name of the town causes confusion with visitors, as there is a Heidelberg in Gauteng as well as in Germany.
In 1917 a group of residents from Heidelberg wanted to change the name of the town to De Waal, after Sir Frederic de Waal, a popular administrator of the Cape Province, but the Heidelberg residents resisted the name change. The name of the Primary school became De Waalville Primêr.
Old Jail
The jail was used from 1860 for convicted prisoners.
On 2 August 1938 Heidelberg received its first Magistrate’s Court with an assistant magistrate.
Prior to that, all court cases were handled by the Swellendam Drostdy travelling court. It could take up to two months before the court came to town, because of the large area it had to service. During this time suspects had to remain in prison or under custody
until the hearing.
In 1946 Heidelberg finally got it own magistrate’s building and holding cells at the new Police Station in Van Riebeeck Street.
Leiwater
When Heidelberg was developed, it already had a canal to bring the river water to the farm for irrigation. In 1955 the same canal was used for irrigation water.
In 1904 the town started the process for cleaner water because of dysentery running rampant, especially if the summer season. Up until the 1920s housewives had to collect water for drinking and household use out of the irrigation canals that today still run through the old part of town.
A dam was built on the farm of a Mr van Zyl and another dam, the Quarrykloof Dam was built just outside of town. This gave the town the opportunity to expand and growwith new erven and even helped the railway to expand.
General Dealer & Winery
This part of town belonged to the Jewish Friedman family in the 1890s.
Mr Friedman ran a general store from this building and the letters of General is still visible in the masonrywork. In those days a general dealer stocked everything imaginable, as travelling took longer.
Where the open field is situated on the left, used to be Mr Friedman’s vineyard. On the adjacent property on the right hand side, in the small building with the unusual high cement roof, was his distillery
Mr. Friedman's House
This house initially belonged to Mr. Friedman. Years later the house was owned by George Phil Malter. He was well known for the excellent fruit and vegetables he grew. He took the prize, at the agricultural show, for the best vegetables produced in town for 18 years.
The front room of his house was used by Dr. Steyn, a dentist, from Riversdale. His technician, who made sets of false teeth, worked in the back room of the house. The house was bought in 1979 by Neville Lotz, in a good condition, from the Dutch Reformed Church. They had used it as a rectory for the Missionary Priest Pastor JC Botes of the NG Church and later rented it out.
Mr Lotz further improved the property by building a new garage and kitchen.
The Magistrate
Petrus Gerhardus Swart bought the property on 18 May 1857. He was a retired farmer who built this
house for his family. There is a french oak tree in
the back garden that dates back to 1857.
The house has a beautiful staircase that was im-
ported from Holland. Sir Abie Baily, from the dia-
mond fields, offered the owners 500 pounds for it,
but they refused.
During the Second World War an attorney, EW
Engelo owned the house. He acted as a magistrate
while staying in the house, using the ground floor
as his offices.
Bruce and Liz Napier bought the house and in
2009 the adjacent property. They restored the
properties to its original state.
St. Matthews & School Church
Starnation Art Studio
This building was used as a Church School for St. Barnabas Church by the Reverend P.T. Blant in 1865.
From 1890 it was used as a English Church for white people till 1938. The neigbouring house, on the same property, belonged to Mr. J. Fiveash.
This house was where Peter Bellingam died from being shot in the stomach, two days after the skirmish between the British and Boere in 1901. According to the story, Lady Uys and her husband were drinking coffee on the verandah of the long house (a house with no passage) when the shooting
occurred. They went to the aid of the injured boy, but he later died and was buried in the Old English Cemetery.
Six months later his family took his remains back to the family farm at Aberdeen.
Old Barn
This building dates back to 1926. The round roof is typical of the 1920s building with Art Deco style. It was originally used as a barn for the Doornboom Farm.
With the arrival of cars and tractors in Heidelberg, it was turned into a workshop for servicing vehicles.
From 2001 the front of the building was used as a shop selling vehicle parts and the back area was renovated into a residential dwelling. The workshops were moved to the rear of the property.
The front building was converted to a residential dwelling in 2011.
Garage
This building dates back to 1933. It was used as the JJ. Lingenfelder Central Garage since 1943.
It was Van der Vyver’s Shell Garage and mechanic services when Dawie Koch bought it in 1968. The name then changed to Koch Motors.
Between 1977 and 1980 there were 122 farmers who were part of the Co-Op of which 88 drove new Datsun bakkies, purchased from Koch Motors.
In Africa there are always years of drought followed by years of prosperity. This pattern is noticeable in Heidelberg history and we assume that a good year of selling vehicles always follows a good harvest.It was being used as an eclectic antique andcollectables emporium from 2014 - 2021.
St. Barnabas Anglican Church Rectory
This building dates back to the 1800s.
Heidelberg has 26 different denominations. Religion still plays an important part in the community, with churches involved with helping the less privileged in their congregation.
This was also prevalent in the early days with the missionary work done through the churches.
All people living in town, including pastors, had to be self-sufficient by having their own gardens for growing fruit, vegetables and livestock. A barter system was used to acquire a variety of produce. Buildings were built close to the street to allow for bigger gardens at the back. This building is probably set further back, because it was connected to St. Barnabas Church adjacent to it, allowing for community grounds in the front
Monument
WAR OF LIBERATION 1899-1902
In memory of those who died during the skirmish of 13 September 1901 here at Heidelberg.
N.G. Church
This beautiful church forms the center of the town. Reverend Daneel was the first pastor.
On 13 January 1856 four children were christened in the old church school. The school church was built with the congregation's own funds. A law was later passed in 1959 that government would no longer fund churches and salaries for clergymen.
There was a need for a larger building, and on 17 March 1872 the foundation was laid for the church, which was designed by Carl Otto Hager.
The church was opened on 19 July 1873.
By 1910 , when Rev. Spies took up a position here with his wife, the church building was a poor condition. They asked the congregation to build a new church. On 22 March 1913 the new corner stone was laid. The congregation had paid for he building work by the time the church re-opened. The podium was a gift from Jan Rall from the farm Kruisrivier.
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