Heritage Cases

The restoration work for the main house has been commissioned by the Coega Development Corporation as required by the recommendations contained in the Heritage Impact assessment (HIA) compiled in May 2010, and incorporated into the Open Space Management Plan(OSMP) for the Coega Industrial Development Zone (IDZ). The restoration project forms part of the implementation of the CDC’s OSMP. The following referenced excerpt from this 2010 HIA refers; In terms of the requirements of the National Heritage Act 1999 (No 25 of 1999) the following recommendations are made regarding the built structures, grave sites and shipwreck localities: -On merit, the main homestead at Hougham Park is of historical significance (although not of particular architectural merit). Built in the 1840’s, it has essentially not been altered much since the 1920’s when some changes took place, with the double storey addition being built. The tower and house are adjoined, but originally the upper storey was accessed by an external staircase. It is suggested that the current dimensions and appearance of the house remain unaltered. The main homestead could make an ideal reception center or business headquarters, with the potential for eco-tourism showcasing cultural migration, as well as the flora and fauna in the area. It would set a precedent for the preservation of cultural heritage structures within an industrial domain. The historic Hougham Park village settlement pre-dates to circa 1860 and consists of the farm house (main house), which is being restored, an adjoining egg-house building, an ancillary store building and nearby family burial ground. According to the finding of the CDC’s HIA, this egg-house is the most important of the Hougham Park farmstead settlement, even more so than the main farm house, and consequently requires restoring and preserving. All of these heritage artefacts combine to make up a homogeneous architectural whole, which should be considered in their totality as worthy of restoration, to provide an historic legacy of the built environment at Hougham Park, for the Coega Development Corporation and the people of Mandela Bay. It is recommended that such a decision to restore the settlement buildings should ideally be made at an early stage during the restoration stage of the main house from an economic and strategic point of view.