Potchefstroom

Grade I : National Heritage Sites

Old Fort and Cemetery, c. 1881

An earthwork quadrilateral, west of the Potch–Klerksdorp rail line and south of the main Potch–Klerksdorp road. British soldiers built the fort during the Anglo-Boer War in 1880, and were besieged by the Boers for 95 days. A number of soldiers and civilians who died during the siege are buried in the adjoining cemetery. Declared^[12] in 1937 (Item 27046 in the South African Heritage Resources Agency registry).

South African National Artillery Memorial

The national memorial site, on Ventersdorp Road in Kanonierspark, for all artillery soldiers who died in combat during World War II.

Grade II: Provincial Heritage Sites

W. D. Pretorius House, c. 1853^[13]

Willem Daniel Pretorius, the great-grandnephew of President M. W. Pretorius, obtained the house and outbuildings (a farm adjacent to the town) in 1888 and immediately began extending and changing the house. His initials and the year (WDP 1888) were inscribed on the front door of the new facade. A small school was housed in one of the buildings, the forerunner of M. L. Fick Primary school. The Mooi Rivier Dutch Reformed Church was founded there in 1917. The site, on the corner of Walter Sisulu Avenue and Smit Street, was declared in 1987 (Item 27354 in SAHRA database).

Goetz-Fleishack House, c. 1857

This is the only existing example of an early townhouse (dorpshuis) built around Nieuwe Market Square, and demonstrates the lifestyle of the first wealthy civilians of the ZAR. The site was the residence of magistrate A. M. Goetz during the First War of Independence (1880–1881). His son-in-law, Albert Reinholdt Fleishack, later lived in the same home. The house and outbuildings, at the intersection of Nelson Mandela and Sol Plaatjie Avenues, have been restored as a historic house museum. It was declared a national monument^[14] in 1985 (Item 27820 on SAHRA register)

Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk (Church), c. 1859

The original cruciform church, with an earth floor and thatched roof, received a tin roof with decorative cast-iron horsemen and a spire. An 1892 renovation provided a plank floor, galleries, pews, a ceiling and lamps. An organ gallery was later built, and a pipe organ was imported from London and transported by train and oxcart. The building's cornerstone was laid on 26 December 1859, and it was consecrated on 25 February 1866. Construction was interrupted in 1863-4 by the Transvaal Civil War. The church is on Walter Sisulu Avenue, opposite the Town Hall.

M. W. Pretorius House, c. 1868

The President Pretorius house is in traditional Cape style, with white plaster and a thatched roof. It consists of a 1,323-hectare (5.11 sq mi) property with the original residence, a wagon house and stables, and a smithy. The site, with large oak trees planted by Pretorius, was declared^[15] a monument in 1979 (Item 27047 in the SAHRA register) and is now a house museum.

Berlin Missionary Complex, c. 1875

This building looked identical to the Berlin Mission Church in Pretoria: a small hall with "fortified" colonial Gothic elements. It initially had a thatched roof, and a dirt floor; the thatched roof was replaced with a tin roof in 1956, and a parquet floor and gallery were added. Minor changes have been made since 1938, when the new Evangelical Lutheran congregation used the Mission Church. The Gereformeerde Church Mooi Rivier now own the building, at the corner of Sol Plaatjie and Du Plooy Streets.

St. Mary's Anglican Church, c. 1890

Credited to John William Gaisford, the first known Potchefstromer architect, the church (on Auto Street) originally had a steeply-pitched thatched roof, a lancet window and a dirt floor.

Dutch Reformed Mother Church Potchefstroom, c. 1895

The church, with Gothic elements, was designed by a master builder named Wocke. President Paul Kruger laid its foundation stone on 13 February 1894, and it was a temporary hospital during the Anglo-Boer War. Beyers Naudé was a minister at the church before he became an anti-apartheid activist. It was nearly destroyed by a 13 March 2007 fire, but was restored by 2009; a new organ was dedicated in September 2011. The church is on the corner of Beyers Naude and Nelson Mandela Drives.

Old Powder Magazine, c. 1898

One of Potchefstroom's oldest existing buildings, its building permit was granted in 1854 and the powder house was almost certainly in use in 1857. It played a prominent role in the 1881 siege of Potchefstroom, when the British demolished part of it to use the building materials for cover. It was demolished in 1883, and the current magazine (half the size of the original) was built in its place by 1898. It was declared^[16] a monument in 1973 (Item 27357 in SAHRA database).

Old Fourth Prison, c. 1898

The Fourth Prison was built on the current site before the outbreak of the Anglo Boer war (1899–1903). It was used as a prison, and was the headquarters of the Potchefstroom Commando until 1998. The building, on Auto Avenue, houses the Tlokwe Youth Centre.

Old Post Office building (Landdrost Post en Telegraafgebou), c. 1897

The building, on Greyling Street, was declared^[17] in 1991 (Items 27142 and 27144 in the SAHRA register).

Theological School Complex, c. 1905

The Theological School Complex, on Molen Street, is a symbol of Reformed Church (Gereformeerde Kerk) training and Afrikaans instruction at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels.

Totius House, c. 1905

The site, like the Theological School Building, came into use in 1905. It is a near-replica of the professor's residence in Burgersdorp (from where the Reformed Church seminary moved). The house's first resident was Jan Lion Cachet. He was succeeded in 1911 by Jacob Daniel Du Toit (Totius) as professor at the Theological School. Totius and his family lived in the house until 1924, and at least four of his volumes of poetry were written there. He began his Afrikaans translation of the Bible, which he continued on a farm in Krugerskraal. The house, on Molen Street, is now a museum.

Town Hall, c. 1909

A building in Edwardian Classical design which was dedicated on 10 March 1909 by Colonial Secretary Jan Smuts.^[6] It and the Krugersdorp City Hall are the oldest existing city halls north of the Vaal River in South Africa. Its western façade is symmetrical, with the 26 m (85 ft)-high ornamental domed tower the central axis. The clock and bell, with Westminster chimes, were manufactured in the Netherlands. The building cost £12,000 pounds at the time. Declared^[18] in 1993 (Item 27143 in SAHRA register).

Selbourne Hall, c. 1909

The building, on the Agricultural College campus, is in disrepair.

Oak Avenue, c. 1910

The Potchefstroom town council decided to plant an oak lane in 1910. The 6.84-kilometre (4.25 mi) lane stretches from the Agricultural Centre to the Lakeside Resort. The streets are Chris Hani Drive, Kock Street, Dr. Wolmarans Street, Beyers Naudé Avenue, Retief Street and Peter Mokaba, Steve Biko and Calderbank Avenues. The site was declared a monument in 1977^[19] (Item 27304 in SAHRA registry), and a stone beacon with bronze plaque for the lane was erected at the corner of Lombard and Kruger Street.

Commanding Officers House / Witrand Hospital Superintend house, c. 1913

Formerly the residence of the commanding officer of the British garrison in Potchefstroom, it is also known as the Generals House. Colonel S. H. C. Monro was the garrison's first commanding officer and the first resident of the house. It was later the residence of the Witrand Care and Rehabilitation Centre superintendent. Declared in 1982 (Item 27665 in the SAHRA database), it is on the Witrand grounds on Ventersdorp Road.

Carnegie library, c. 1914

The building was named after Andrew Carnegie, who funded the library and others worldwide. Its portico and gable are derived from the adjacent town hall, so the buildings appear similar. It is a liaison office for the town council and Potchefstroom Tourism. On the corner of Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu Avenues, it was declared^[20] a monument in 1993 (Item 27140 in the SAHRA database).

Heimat building, c. 1925^[21]

The two-storey hostel in Neo-Cape Dutch style, designed by Gerard Moerdijk, was the first permanent building on the university campus. It was decided that it would be called Ons Huis (Our Home). When the students occupied it, however, it was called the Klimop (Creeper). The students called it Heimat, a name which remained after it was re-allocated for academic purposes in 1980. Declared in 1984 (item 27194 in the SAHRA register), the building on the Potchefstroom campus of the North-West University houses the university's Department of Culture.

The Roets House, c. 1926

The house was built by Jan van der Walt so his son, Peter, could remain at home while studying at the university. Hennie Roets, principal of the Mooi River Laerskool, later occupied the house. At 61 Steve Biko Avenue, it was declared in 1984.

Main Building, University, c. 1930

The building was designed by architect Henri Louw of Bloemfontein, and its seven arches were meant to echo the seven candelabra in the university's logo. Dedicated on 13 April 1931,^[22] the two-storey building originally housed lecture halls, offices and the library. Declared a monument in 1984, Building F5 now houses the Faculty of Law.

Rector's Residence, 1 Calderbank Avenue

The Tudor-style building was declared^[23] in 1999 (Item 27680 in the SAHRA database).

72, 74 and 76 James Maroka Avenue

The three houses were declared in 1991.

Provisional grade-III sites

Although Potchefstroom has no local heritage sites, the following sites have been placed on the municipality's provisional list:^[24]

• Snowflake Silo building, Wolmarans Street (c. 1921)
• Boyd House, at the corner of Walter Sisulu Avenue and Ayers Street (c. 1909)
• Piet Malan House, 57 Steve Biko Avenue (c. 1890)
• Kohinoor Cinema, Walter Sisulu Avenue (c. 1950): The cinema, in Makweteng (now known as Mieder Park), was built in the early 1950s and in use during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. It was also used for dancing competitions (particularly ballroom dancing) and weddings before the forced removals from 1958 to 1963. It hosted jazz concerts with performers such as the Twist Rovers, Spokes Mashiane and other groups from Johannesburg.
• Potchefstroom Dam and Lakeside Resort, Calderbank Avenue (c. 1908)
• Calderbank Building, Walter Sisulu Avenue (c. 1930)
• A. M. E. Church, Ikageng (c. 1961)
• House of the Editor-Bate, James Maroka Avenue (c. 1902)
• Triomf (Knock) Fertilizer (c. 1968)
• Potchefstroom Station building (c. 1919) and steam locomotive^[25] on its forecourt, from 1902
• Potchefstroom Synagogue, James Maroka Avenue (c. 1920): The building houses the Potchefstroom Academy.
• Devil's corner, Ikageng (c. 1960): An open space used by the Ikageng community, during the 1960s it was used for a fashion parade and is now a celebration venue for the Kaizer Chiefs Football Club. Local criminals used it as a hiding place, and it was a meeting place for local activists and organisations.
• Tlokwe Memorial Park, entrance to Ikageng (c. 2009): A memorial park under construction for local activists who died during the liberation struggle
• Cachet Park, Die Bult (c. 1900): Used for the annual Aardklop National Arts Festival