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Oudtshoorn’s buildings – a photo blog

9/9/2014

14 Comments

 
Oudtshoorn buildings
By Roxanne Reid
The Klein Karoo town of Oudtshoorn is best known for the Cango Caves nearby and its heyday during the ostrich feather boom of 1900–1914. Feathers were high-fashion items that fetched enormous prices, bringing wealth that was reflected in the sandstone buildings of the era. Discover some of Oudtshoorn’s buildings in this photo blog. 

CP Nel Museum
Oudtshoorn buildings
CP Nel Museum, 3 Baron van Rheede Street, 1906
The building that houses Oudtshoorn’s wonderful CP Nel Museum dates back to 1906 and was originally the boys’ high school. The bulk of the collections were donated to the museum by businessman and collector Charles Paul Nel. They include a pharmacist’s shop, a general dealer, a good collection of porcelain, displays of old clothing, musical instruments, weapons, carriages and old cars. If you’re a Pauline Smith fan, this is the place to find out more about her and the places she wrote about.

Le Roux Town House Museum
Oudtshoorn buildings
Le Roux Town House Museum, 46 High Street, 1908
This national monument, built as a town house for the Le Roux family in 1908, is now a satellite of the CP Nel Museum in Oudtshoorn. Back in those days many farmers had a townhouse (dorpshuis) in the nearest settlement so they could stay overnight for nagmaal (communion). These houses were usually simple and basic, but this one was built during the ostrich feather boom and no money was spared. The Le Rouxs entertained some famous people here, including Cecil John Rhodes, the Prince of Wales and the writer H Ryder Haggard.

Arbeitsgenot
Oudtshoorn buildings
Arbeidsgenot at 217 Van Riebeeck Street,1898
Built in 1898, Arbeidgenot, is a simple little cottage with white wooden latticework and a red roof. It was the home of South African author and poet CJ Langenhoven from 1903 until his death in 1932. He wrote stories of Herri the elephant as well as the old South African national anthem Die Stem and is considered to be the father of the Afrikaans language. When his wife died in 1950 she left the house and its contents to the nation and it was opened to the public in 1955. It became a living museum in 1999 and Langenhoven’s ashes were reburied in the garden in 2003.

Dutch Reformed Church parsonage
Oudtshoorn buildings
Dutch Reformed parsonage, 141 High Street, 1881
Designed by architect Otter Hager, the Dutch Reformed pastorie was built in 1881. Today it’s a lovely B&B guesthouse with yellowwood floors, marble fireplaces and sash windows. You can see the room where Reverend George Murray sat around the table with his 16 children.

Synagogue
Oudtshoorn buildings
Synagogue at 83 Baron Van Rheede Street, 1888
The pretty little synagogue was built in 1888. Both the plot and the stones to build it with were donated by Afrikaners in Oudtshoorn. The first rabbi was Myers Woolfson, who worked here for more than 50 years. The synagogue was commonly referred to as the Englische Shul.

Rus in Urbe
Oudtshoorn buildings
Rus in Urbe, 54 Voortrekker Street, 1902
The house was built in 1902 for JA Foster, who went bankrupt in 1914 when the ostrich feather industry crashed. With a Tudor influence, a teak staircase and stained glass windows, it was also known as Foster’s Folly. It was used as a Teachers' Training College from 1915 to 1924, and later as a girl’s hostel. It was declared a national monument in 1991.

Queen’s Hotel
Oudtshoorn buildings
Queen's Hotel, 5 Baron van Rheede Street, 1880
Built in 1880, originally of stone with a thatched roof, the Queen’s Hotel is said to be the third oldest hotel in South Africa still standing. You may think it’s named after the British queen, but the truth is more interesting. Johnny Bawden, one of its owners, headed up the Home Guard during the Anglo Boer War and was awarded the Queen’s Medal, after which the hotel was named. Today it’s a modern hotel with bags of colonial charm.

There are lots of other lovely old sandstone buildings in Oudtshoorn, making a drive or walk around the centre very rewarding. Many of them are in Baron Van Rheede and High Street, which make a good starting point.
Oudtshoorn buildings
Gottland House, 72 Baron van Rheede Street, 1902
Oudtshoorn buildings
171 High Street, late 19th century
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Heritage buildings of Oudtshoorn in the Karoo #SouthAfrica #architecture #travel
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Oudtshoorn's CP Nel Museum & the Polish orphans

​Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without permission from roxannereid.co.za
14 Comments
Lori
11/9/2014 12:18:31 pm

I love this photos. The history is so interesting. I especially like the little cottage lived in my the author. It looks like the perfect size house. I don't know why people need such huge houses these days. In California we call them MacMansions. Lori from AfricaInside.org

Reply
Roxanne link
15/9/2014 06:41:34 am

I also have a soft spot for Langenhoven's house, Lori. And I love the term MacMansions - lots of those in some parts of South Africa too!

Reply
chris joynt
17/1/2015 09:54:13 am

Thank u so much for the lovely pics and info of my hometown. Was there in Jan 2014 to bury my mom next to dad and was amazed (having been in East London for past 35yrs) at what a jewel it is. Will hopefully retire to struisieland in 5yrs time. N pragtige dorp. Groetnis.

Reply
Roxanne link
17/1/2015 10:56:49 pm

Oudtshoorn is indeed a beautiful town, Chris. Glad you got to go back for a short while, even for such a sad reason. Sterkte

Reply
Graham Goodwin
8/3/2015 08:21:49 am

You missed out PINEHURST the most beautiful example of a Sugar Baron home. declared a national monument in 1944. Now part of the Teachers Training college. Need special permission to go see it.

Reply
Chris Joynt
9/3/2015 03:23:00 pm

Yes indeed Graham. A must see. I studied at OKO from 79 to 81. Lived round the corner from Pinehurst at Brigadoon in St Johns. Wonder what happened with Pinehurst when College closed and military took possession of College. Groetnis.

Reply
Graham Goodwin
10/3/2015 06:15:35 am

.......I will let you know. I am pobably going down to Oudtshoorn at the end of this month.

Roxanne link
12/3/2015 08:03:38 am

Thanks for your comments, Graham and Chris. You're right, there are many more lovely old buildings in Oudtshoorn. According to the brochure I got from the CP Nel museum when I visited, Pinehurst is now being used as a school hostel.
Anyone who lived in Oudtshoorn before 1966 might also remember a building called the Towers, on the corner of Voortrekker and Jan van Riebeeck streets. It was built in 1903 and demolished in 1966, to make way for a high school where Oudtshoorn High School stands today. Apparently it was a great architectural loss to Oudtshoorn and would probably have survived if sentiment about old buildings in the 1960s had been what it is today.

Reply
Brian
27/10/2015 11:42:17 am

hi Roxanne,my daughter was born in oudtshoorn 25 years ago,so she still is a volstruis Maisie ,I worked for the holiday inn,super memories of the Klein Karoo,spent 2 fantastic years there as Executive chef,wonderful memories,thanks

Reply
Roxanne link
27/10/2015 01:08:51 pm

Ah that's a super story, Brian, thanks for sharing. The Klein Karoo is very special, and Oudtshoorn definitely one of the prettiest towns.

Reply
George Wearing (born Baker)
4/6/2019 11:31:29 am

When I was a little boy growing up in SA we lived next door on Loop Straat to the Le Roux town house. A lady named Sarie (dressmaker I think) and her daughter Aldra lived there. The CP Nel museum was next door to us on High street. The Langenhovens were Godparents to my mother Violet Matilda Baker (nee Althorp). All so long ago now!

Reply
Roxanne Reid
5/6/2019 08:11:07 am

How interesting, George. Wonderful memories. You'd be pleased to know how well preserved most of the old buildings are.

Reply
Attie Venter
26/4/2020 12:07:49 am

As a child we stayed in St Saviour Street.
I attend school from 1953 to 1961,when we sadly left Oudtshoorn to move to Cradock.
The memories that old sandstone building of the Boys'High will be entreched in me for the rest of my life.
The loudness of footsteps in the passages on the light floors and the singing of "Higher,let us climb on the mount of glory....",will forever echo in my mind.What beautiful memories I was so fortunate to keep.

Reply
Roxanne
30/4/2020 01:19:39 pm

What special memories, Attie. Oudtshoorn really does have beautiful buildings, though some of them have been lost - sadly.

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