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9/2/083/0001

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SiteID: 

27667

FullSiteName: 

Old Dutch Reformed Church, Church Street, Somerset West

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No

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Author: 

Anonymous

FeaturedSite?: 

NO
Post date: 07/08/2012
Site Comments:

Archive Import
History: The old Dutch Reformed Church in Somerset West is situated between Church and Victoria Streets, not far from the main street. The congregation of Hottentots Holland was established in 1819, three years before the town of Somerset West came into being. The names of the founders include those of such well-known Somerset West families as Morkel, De Vos, Brink, Meyburgh, Malan and De Villiers. Dauwe Gerbrand Steyn donated a portion of his historic farm Cloetendal, which lay “on the great general wagon road”, to the congregation as a site for the church. When Willem Adriaan van der Stel left the country, his farm Vergelegen was divided into four; Cloetendal was originally one of these portions. Work on the church must have started immediately, for it was officially opened by the relieving minister of Stellenbosch, the Rev. Meent Borcherds, in 1820.
Shortly after the opening, the church was seriously damaged by floods. The newly-established congregation was so poor that it could not even pay the salary of its “reader”, far less pay for the repairs, so the governor had to lend him R450 to repair the church. The congregation received its first minister in 1822 when the government appointed the Rev. Johannes Spyker to the post.
The building stood unchanged for many years, but in 1862, during the ministry of the Rev. J. F. Reita, extensive repairs were carried out. The roof, ceiling, doors and windows were all replaced. Unfortunately considerable disagreement arose between the contractor and the building committee of the church, and the difficulties were no sooner resolved, than, during the unusually severe winter, the north gable collapsed and pulled down a part of the recently completed roof and ceiling. The gable was rebuilt and the repairs completed in time for the church to be re-opened on 12th May, 1863.
After serving the congregation for more than a hundred years the church became too small, and a new one was completed in 1941. For a time the old building was still used for various congregational purposes, but it gradually fell into disuse and disrepair. People began to demand that it be restored and maintained not only on account of its long history and rich traditions, but because its triangular tympanum made it architecturally rare in South Africa. Moreover, there was a strong feeling that the graveyard where Jan Hendrik (Onze Jan) Hofmeyr and many other members of prominent Hottentots Holland families are buried, should not be allowed to fall into oblivion. Consequently the Church Council decided in the early 1960’s to restore the old building and place it at the disposal of the coloured congregation. A restoration committee under the chairmanship of Mr. Charles Louw undertook the difficult task with enthusiasm and sympathy. They spared no efforts. They even rebuilt the belfry faithfully in accordance with an old photograph discovered in Cape Town and recovered the original bell from a pile of rubbish. On 12th May, 1963, it could be used to ring in a new era in the history of the old church.
Proclaimed 1963"
Visual Description:
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Site Features:
Condition: Poor
Construction Date: 1820c
Materials:
Catalogue: Somerset West Structure Plan, No: 76, Significance Category:

Admin Comments:
Bibliography archive: f&c (1)
 
 

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