Sites

The site is comprised of an old farmhouse located on Portion 9 of the farm Platterug 303 owned by Mr C. van Den Berg. The building was the original farmhouse for a portion of the farm known since historic times as Bona Vista. It is a square building with a hipped corrugated iron roof and has a calcrete stone foundation. The house has been modified over the years with a section added to the rear or southern side of the house. The veranda was also enclosed and the original sash windows replaced. The wooden floors were replaced with tiles and the old milk room of the homestead has been converted into a scullery. A large bathroom is located at the rear of the home and access to it was via the back veranda, which has now been enclosed. The wooden ceilings were retained as well as the original coal stove. The framed door and windows is indicative of
an earlier (possible Edwardian) influence in architectural design, making use of a decorative plastering technique known a pargeting and moulding, with the simpler version of theses designs adopted by the English Settler architecture of the Eastern Cape. The original outhouse or privy is still visible and is located behind the house on its southern side. The eastern and southern ends of the farmhouse is enclosed by a lane of old trees, with even older trees located a short distance to the east. According to Mr Van den Berg, this house is mentioned from the beginning of the 20th century in the old police records that used to be stored in the old shop and police station at Site 29 (Van den Berg, pers. comm.). The earliest depiction of the building which could be found was on a survey diagram compiled in March 1910. This indicates that the original core of the building is at least 105 years old.