Did you know that many of the old buildings in Stellenbosch were shaped like letters of the alphabet? In his 1965 book James Walton beautifully explains and illustrates the development of the T-shape, H-shape and U-shaped houses, each time giving a real farmstead as example.He explains that most Dutch settlers initially staye...  Continue reading

Stellenbosch het 2 groot brande gehad, die eerste in 1710 en die tweede in 1803. Met die verwoestende brand van 1803 het 42 geboue afgebrand, omtrent 'n derde van die dorp op daardie stadium.Hierdie twee rampe (sowel as stormsterk winde wat soms die geboue beskadig het) is 'n groot rede hoekom al die historiese geboue in die ...  Continue reading

The story of this somewhat obscure little street is interesting because it tells us about the people who lived in Van Riebeeck Street before it was used for residences like Heemstede and Metanoia.Interestingly, this  story also slots into a larger narrative, that of the Second World War.Henry Wicht was originally a dairy farm...  Continue reading

Die storie van hierdie klein straatjie is interessant omdat dit ons vertel van die mense wat in Van Riebeeckstraat gewoon het voordat dit grond gebruik is vir koshuise soos Heemstede en Metanoia.Dis moeilik om te dink die klein straatjie se storie pas ook in 'n groter storie, dié van die Tweede Wêreldoorlog.Henry Wicht was 'n...  Continue reading

Het jy geweet die Oude Leeskamer in Dorpstraat 182 was letterlik 'n 'leeskamer' of 'reading room'?Daar was ten minste drie leeskringe in die vroeë 1800s: die Reading Club wat in die Leeskamer bymekaargekom het (gestig in 1847), die Book Society (1829) en die Hollandse Leesgeselschap (1840). Vroeër was daar slegs 'n poskoetsdi...  Continue reading

Did you know that the Oude Leeskamer in Dorpstraat 182 was literally a room for reading in?At least three book clubs existed in the early 1800s: the Reading Club, who gathered in the Leeskamer (founded in 1847), the Book Society (1829) and the Dutch Leesgeselschap (1840). Before then the town had a postal coach service that o...  Continue reading