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SiteID: 

27048

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Groot Constantia, Constantia, Wynberg District

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Anonymous

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Post date: 07/08/2012
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Archive Import
History: On 31st July, 1685, the High Commissioner, Hendrik Adriaan van Reede, granted a farm of 762 hectares, which was to become known as Constantia, to Simon van der Stel. The origin of the name is not known. Various additions were made to the original grant from time to time—Witteboomen, the Zeekoeijenvalleij that included Wynberg and extended eastwards as far as False Bay and, finally, the right “to graze stock, plough, sow and fish” in the Steenberg.
The centre of this great farm was the house Constantia. Simon van der Stel probably started building the house as soon as he received the farm, with R20 000 which he borrowed from his son Willem. The traveller Francois
50 Valentyn visited it during Simon’s lifetime and left a full description of it; according to this, it differed from the present house in the following respects: (i) the back wall must have passed through the middle of the present dining-room so there must have been a passage at the back of the house; (ii) the two rooms on the left of the front hall must have been one large room, and (iii) there were rooms in the loft.
Within ten years Simon van der Stel planted more than 8 000 trees on Constantia, more than half of them fruit trees, while he gave special attention to the vine yards. Valentyn mentions the “incomparably large and delicious fruit”, “an exceptionally large and fine brick pressing-house” and the red Constantia wine that was sold for 80 rixdollars and compared favourably with the Italian Lachryma Christi. He describes the farm itself as “an unusually well planted farm where one finds the best that the Cape has to offer, and where many farmers could make a living”.
When he retired as Governor in 1799, Simon van der Stel went to live permanently on Constantia until his death in 1812. During these years the farm and house were frequently the scene of receptions to which the highest officials and visitors were invited.
Four years after Simon’s death the farm was divided in two. One hundred and ninety-two hectares, including the main house, passed into the hands of the well-known Oloff Bergh and in time became known as Groot Con stantia; the remaining portion, measuring 570 hectares, was sold to Pieter de Meyer and named Bergvliet. In the course of time Bergvliet was subdivided giving rise successively to the farms Klein Constantia, Hoop op Constantia, Buitenverwachting, Witteboomen, Silverhurst, and others.
After Bergh’s death Groot Constantia passed successively to Carel George Wieser, Jacobus van der Spuy and Jan Serrurier. In 1778 Serrurier sold it in a fairly poor condition to Hendrik Cloete for 60 000 Cape guilders. During the eighteenth century the house was visited and mentioned by travellers like Stavorinus, Sparrman and Le Vaillant.
From 1789 to 1792 Cloete employed Thibault and Anreith to rebuild the house and wine-cellar in their present form. This is when the house acquired its fine front and side gables. Thibault was responsible for the design of the house and other buildings, whereas Anton Anreith executed the figure of Plenty in the niche of the front• gable as well as the well-known pediment of the wine-cellar.
Constantia remained in the possession of the Cloete family for generations and her wines became famous in South Africa and overseas. At first the Company, and later the British authorities, compelled the owners to deliver up a quota of their production at a fixed price to be used to entertain important visitors and as gifts to foreign princes. During Napoleon’s stay on St. Helena his household was constantly supplied with Constantia wine.
The Constantia estate eventually passed into the hands of the government. In 1925 the house was almost totally destroyed by fire; only the walls remained standing. It was faithfully restored by the architect F. K. Kendall on the instructions of the Government. Today it stands as a fine example of Cape architecture and a symbol of the hospitality of the former owners.
Proclaimed 1936"
Visual Description: The road to Constantia swings to the right in Wynberg to enter Constantia, one of the most picturesque valleys in South Africa. Here we find some of the best examples of Cape Dutch architecture, and the best known of them is Groot Constantia.
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Admin Comments:
1789-92 Thibault, Louis Michel; 1903 Baker and Masey; 1926 Kendall, Franklin Kaye;;SAB May 1926:53 restoration; UCT BC 206: Box 45-46 ; Keath c1991:108 Bibliography archive: attrib; FK KENDALL suggests that Thibault rebuilt the whole house 'when he rebuilt the wine cellar' (1791-92); Kendall 1927; Quarterly Bull SA Libr (I) 1946-47:99; Lewcock 1963:17; Oberholster 1972:51; DSAB I:788 ;
 
 

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