Mossel Bay Historical Walk

• Mossel Bay

1 Post Office Tree

In 1501 Pedro d'Ataida left a letter in a sailor's boot in a tree near the spring warning that Calicut had been taken by the Borneans, so that Portuguese were no longer safe. Admiral Jao da Nova arrived with seven ships carrying the replacements for the Calicut garison and found the letter. (The garrison was rotated every three years), He decided to divert to Malakat where the garrison was only one year into its stint. On the way back he built a small chapel to thank the Virgin Mary for the warning that had saved his troops. Henceforth, letters were regularly left in the shoe to avoid destruction by the Khoi who believed that any form of writing was magic to be used aganst them.

2 Dias' Landing

On the 3rd February 1488, Bartolomeu Dias, searching for a way to India (without crossing Arabia) landed on the beach here. His ship replenished its water supply from the spring.

3 Munrohoek Cottages

Built about 1830 for a Munro who had a permit to cull seals and render whale fat, he also ran a tavern. The cottages were restored in 1988.

4 Maritime Museum

Built in 1901 as a grain mill (and also a sawmill) by a progressive farmer called E.J. Meyer, the carpeneter was F. Riley. It was converted to a museum between 1985 and 1989. Among other exhibits, it houses the caravel built in Portugal abd sailed to Mossel Bay to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Dias' landing.

5 Shell Museum

Built around 1902 as a grain store for the mill it was converted to museum by architect Gawie Fagan, as was the Maritime Museum.

6 Granary

Built in 1786/7 to store grain brought in by farmers until there was enough for a shipload, saving them a 2 or 3 month oxwagon journey to the Cape. It was demolished in 1951 and reconstructed in 1987 from original plans found in the archives in the Castle at Cape Town.

7 Ochre Barn

Built in 1849 for Barry & Nephews, by 1865 it had been enlarged to nine bays. It is now the Protea Hotel.

8 First Municipal Building

Built in 1858 it was later, inter alia, a dance hall, telegraph office, wool store, auction house, stage coach stop and library.

9 Second Municipal Building

Built in 1879 by Weymouth and Pickard Builders after the first building became too small. The carved keystones above the windows depict the farming activities of the district (wheat, sheep, ostrich and grapes). Replaced in 1975, it became a cultural museum until 2001 since when it has been and Arts and Crafts centre.

10 10 Church Street

Built c1857 for Meyer & Co. Bought by Hawes & Co in 1861. Used as business premises and the Victoria Hotel. It had a room protected against fire and theft as well as underground water tanks and pump in case of fire. Bought in 1873 by Fleming & Mudie (import and export trade) and then in 1891 by Matare & Bruns. Note the hoist used to lift goods to the 1st floor warehouse and the main entrance in the splayed corner. Later used by the Mossel Bay Advertiser from 1931 to 1988. Restored in 1989 for attorneys Rauch Gertenbach.

11 Standard Bank

Dating from 1902, built by Cochrane & Cherry the architects were Milne & Sladdin of Cape Town. It ws used as a bank until 1950 and is now the Mossel Bay Advertiser. A beautiful porch with a pediment was removed for street widening.

12 "Urk" House

Built in 1904 as offices for C.W. Black whose shop was next door on the corner of Bland Street, it is the oldest 3-storey building in Mossel Bay.

13 Vintcent Building

The original building, a single storey general dealer built in 1820-1824 by C.F. Pohl, was bought by Prince, Collison & Co in 1850. In 1863 Joseph Vintcent bought a partnership. Enlarged in 1859 and again in 1880 to the eastward, the western end was removed in the 1950's for street widening.

14 Prince, Vintcent & Co Building

The discovery of diamonds at Hopetown in 1867 and Kimberley in 1870 and the fact that Mossel Bay was the most convenient harbourfor them, brought immense wealth to this importing company and more space was required. This building was designed by Mr Simpkin and built by Mr C. Wilson between 1901 and 1903 as a much more ornate extension to the Vintcent building. The large arch allowed ox-wagons to enter te building to offload.

15 Errols Electrogas

Built c1876 as the ABC Bank with accommodation upstairs. The covered display area is recent.

16 "Stones"

Erected in 1881 for R. Transfeldt as a shop it later housed the liquor store WP Kelders from whence the infamous "Sakkies" was sold, at the time the only sweet red wine produced in South Africa. About 2001 it was badly damaged by well-meant but ignorant "restoration" which destroyed finely detailed stoonework and obliterated the sandstone window sills where, for about a century the fishermen used to sharpen their knives.

17 Jongensskool

Built in 1872 and severely altered in 2004.

18 Andrag Motors

Built in 1875 by E. de Marillac as a warehouse. Although extensively modernised, two workshops at the rear are in almost unchanged condition. The only surviving commercial wagon house and stable with a feed loft above.

19 Former Ocean View Hotel

Built in 1854 with additions and a second floor in 1877 and further extensions in 1900, it was converted to commercial use around 2000.

20 Searle's Manor

Built in 1902 and used as a warehouse by Searle & Co of Great Brak River and later by a succession of traders. The raised stoep was used as a loading platform. Beautifully restored in 2005/6 into apartments, offices and an atrium for exhibitions. The wrought iron railings, lamps and gates have been added.

21 Searle's Terrace

Built in 1884 as three duplex apartments and thoroughly restored in 2004.

22 Customs House

Built single storey in 1874 and extended in 1882. The verandah was added in 1892. Note the date on the wall and "wagon stone" on South corner to protect the corner of the structure from damage by wagon axles.

23 Mossel Bay Boating Co Offices

Built in 1901-1902 as offices for the MBBC who owned and ran the harbour. The clock tower was used to time how long it took to offload a ship. The fanlights above the windows on the south face depict scenes on the river Thames in London.

24 Goods Shed

Built in 1900 and used to store cargo for or from shipment.The rood covers about 90m by 15m without obstruction.The Northern side leads onto a platform to enable railways wagons to be loaded without lifting. Lately used a popular flea market.

25 Fowke's Building

Built around 1888 by M. Bruns as a warehouse. It was used as an isolation hospital during the 1918 flu epidemic.

26 Comay's

Behind Fowke's, this is a warehouse built around 1900, now in poor condition.

27 Bland Street

The Eastern end of the street has many dwellings in good to fair condition typical of the period 1900 to 1940.

28 Gys Smalberger Street

Developed between 1880 and 1900, the Eastern part of this street was occupied by the coloured community, when it was known as Kastrol Street, until apartheid legislation moved them out of town.

29 Old Cemeteries

In 1857 the Anglican and DR churches were given erven. In 1875 the Catholics also received an erf and in 1882 the Lutheran Berlin Mission as well. In 1891 the Berlin Mission built a tone wall around three sides of their cemetery and later the DR and Anglican churches followed suit.

30 Punt High School

To-day Milkwood Primary, it was built in 1909. Note the dark pink stone contrasting with the sandstone quoins around the windows and on the corners. It was designed by Hoggard and constructed by Keating & Co. The stone was trasported from the quarry on the hill above in cocopans on rails.

31 Elgin House

Built around 1915 by a magnate from Oudtshoorn and is the oly "Klein Karoo" style house in Mossel Bay (note the wooden shutters etc). It is said that he brought his own stonemasons from Oudtshoorn as the stone is dressed differently from Mossel Bay masonry. A magnificent old Norfolk Island pine was removed illegally by the owner in 2006.

32 St Blaize Terrace

Built in 1909, according to rumour, from left over stone from the school. It was renovated in 1986.

33 St Blaize Lighthouse

Built in 1864 and designed by the Colonial Engineer, R. Robinson, it was a stationary light. In 1897 a revolving light was fitted that is still in use. It is the last remaining lighthouse in South Africa that is manned 24 hours a day.

34 Cape St Blaize Cave

The cape was named in 1497 by Vasco da Gama as he arrived on the day of St Blaize. It was originally thought that the shell middens had been brought there by birds. Lichtenstein wrote in 1810 that the cave had been inhabited by hunter-gatherers who ate mostly shellfish. It was only in 1888 that Sir George Leith excavated and found conclusively that the middens had been left by pre-colonial inhabitants. There was evidence of Middle Stone Age occupation below the middens. Recent excavations at other sites in the vicinity by Prof. Marean of the Institute of Human Origins at the University of Arizona found evidence going back 160 000 years.

35 War Memorial

Designed by W.J. Delbridge it was erected around 1924 to commemorate the townsfolk who lost their lives in action in the First World War. In 1954 a panel was added with the names of those killed in World War II.

36 Cyprus Cottage

Built about 1900, a typical dwelling of the time with a pitched roof of the main part of the house, a verahndah in front and the kitchen under a lean-to roof in case of fire. If the kitchen had been under the main roof flames could follow the rafters and the whole house would have been consumed. Unfortunately, the diamond windows at the ends of the toep have been bricked up but the stone garden wall is interesting.

37 The Ark

Dating before 1900, this is single storey with a loft, the floor of which has a yellowwood floor with planks 12 inches wide. Note the windows in the gables.

38 Jazzbury's

About 1900, a private home which has been converted to a restaurant.

39 Trawlers' Pub

A row of three terrace houses, very typical of the turn of the century. The verandah has diamond windows. Two of the houses have been converted to a restaurant.

40 Linley Hof, now Panarotti's

Built in 1905 by R. Peda of Oudtshoorn. Mr Harvey, the Town Clerk, lived here in 1913.

41 St Thomas Old Hall

Built between 1907 and 1911 as a school hall. During its construction the three sisters of the Holy Cross taught in the Church House and slept in the garret. The convent school closed in 1968.

42 St Thomas Catholic Church

This was built in 1885 and used as a school until 1905 when it was enlarged with a sanctuary, sacristy etc and became a church. It was enlarged again in 1935 when twin towers were added. Lower Marsh Street was only made in 1887 and was well below the church grounds, so a retaining wall with steps had to be built.

43 Fynbos Shoppe

Dating from befoe 1877 it was the Catholic presbytery. Two magnificent palm trees were sold and replanted at Dias Beach Hotel to make way for the "conservatory added in 2005.

44 Old Masonic Temple

Built in 1884 for the St Balize Lodge which was established in 1881. There is a second plaque stating that St Blaize Lodge was founded in 1875, which causes some confusion. It has no external windows but skylights give light.

45 St Peter's Rectory and Church Hall

Built in 1856/7 as a single storey with a chapel. The hall was built on the site of the Chapel School Room of 1854. The Rectory was extended in 1877 and a second storey and an upstairs balcony added in 1896. The balcony no longer exists.

46 Green Door Guest House

Built about 1900 as a dwelling with wrought iron verandahs and railings, it later served as a boarding house. Sold in the 1980's, the wrought iron work was removed and allegedly sold for more than the purchase price of the property. The present owner had replicas made using old photographs.

47 Café Havana

Built about 1880 for W Mathews. The end of the balcony was usually glassed in against rain. When the eldest boy became too old to share with his siblings it was turned into a small bedroom for him. Later the house bacame the "Rendezvous" boarding house. It was later converted to offices and more lately a restaurant.

48 40 Marsh Street

A dwelling built for Adriaan Horak between 1875 and 1880. It used to be called "Windsor House and later was used commercially.

49 Methodist Church

A property called Queen's Villa comprising a "fine dwelling house", stables, coachhouses and a blacksmith's shop was bought in 1905 for £860. The house became the manse. In 1906 four coner stones were laid for the church which was built by J. Weymouth.

50 St Peter's Anglican Church

The ground for this was donated by Mr J. Hudson. The nave was built in 1878/9 by Weymouth using Anglican stone masons from Cornwall, who were responsible for much of the dressed stone work in Mossel Bay. The tower and chancel were added in 1906. The spire is believed to be the tallest in South Africa built entirely of stone.

51 Lennon's Ltd

Built in 1868 for the chemist, E. Powrie. Later Lennon's ran it as a pharmacy and photographic shop. The double colonnade is the last remaining in town; most of the commercial part of the main street used to have colonnades.

52 M. Braude & Co

From around 1920 it is one of the very few Art Deco style buildings surviving.

53 Cornwall House

Built before 1890 this was the home of the Richard James family until 1931. After being sold, the ground floor was concerted to a shop for Cuthberts and a pharmacy.

54 Klipkerk

The seond D R church in Mossel Bay. The first was made of mud bricks with a reed roof (which leaked) and was demolished in 1971. The new church, designed by architects C.O. Hager and W.B. Hayes abd built by Michie & McGregor contractors, had its corner stone laid in 1878 and was consecrated in 1880. The original steeple could not carry the weight of the bell and began to crack. It had to be re-built with strengthening pillars and a roof structure to spread the weight. The new tower was inaugurated in 1898.

55 Park Gates

Donated by Messrs Matare and Bruns in 1903 to front on the end of the main street. Beyond this point the hill became too steep for animal-drawn vehicles. When motorised vehicles appeared the gates were relocated and Marsh Street was extended up the hill.

56 Harry Giddey Park

The climate of Mossel Bay is arid and the two springs and rainwater collected were barely enough for for domestic use which precluded having gardens. The first water scheme, the Kleinbosch pipeline from 26 miles away and the completion of the Schermbrucker reservoir in 1886 made a park possible. Victoria Park was proclaimed on the Queen's Golden Jubilee, the 21st June 1887. The name of the park was changed in 1969 to Harry Giddey Park to honour the man who take a great interest in the park from the 1930's and who paid for many of the features, stonework and paths which you see to-day.

57 Park House

Built about 1879 by a Mr Martiensen and bought in 1889 by Aalwyn Muller (who farmed at Patrysfontein) as the family dorphuis.

58 Concordia, 102 Montagu Street

Dates from about 1886. Note the different coloured sandstones. The boundary walls are of three distinctly different styles of masonry.

59 Carpenter's Shop

Built in 1898 by W.J. Swart and his two sons. They quarried and dressed the stone themselves. There was an office at street level and a basement workshop, hence the extra wide door below for removing roof trusses made indoors. A bridge led from the office to the kitchen of his double storey house behind. The plans were found in the archives of Herbert Baker. This was the first Afrikaans busness established in Mossel Bay.

60 Alleman's Dorphuis

Built about 1891 for J. Oosterhuizen as two semi-detched homes for letting. It had many owners and tenants until 1992 when the dilapidated building was restored and converted to a guest house.

61 Montagu House

Built in 1920 by G. Taylor and occupied by several generations of his family. The architect was a Mr Riley and the builders were the Pamplin bothers. Mossgas bought it in 1985 and converted it into a guest house for their directors and VIP guests. The outbuildings were converted to suites and entertainment areas.

62 Montagu Manor

Built about 1900 by George Bendle as a general dealer's shop for J.C. Bayman. It was taken over by L.B. Marx until the 1980's and then renovated by architect Vercueil as his offices. In the mid-1990's it was converted to a B&B.

63 Norman Webb's

Built about 1890. When Norman Webb bought the house it was in a poor state of repair. Being a carpenter by trade he set about restoring the house and especially the intricate woodwork. Norman, known for the silver tones of his trumpet, discovered that the original owner had also been a carpenter and the town trumpeter.

64 Clan-y-mor

The date on the gable is 1897. This property comprised half of the block with an outbuilding used as a stable and coach house and a gazebo (since demolished)in the garden.

65 Cuff House

A pair of semi-detached cottages, stepped to cope with the slope. The gable detail suggests that it was built at about the same time as Clan-Y-Mor across the street. Note that the stone used for the quoining around the windows and on the corners is of a lighted colour.

66 Lager House

Used a a boys' hostel, it accommodated the coast guard during World War II.

67 Station

This structure replaced the original corrugated iron building about 1930.

68 Sea Wall

Built about 1905. The waved used to break against this wall before more recent land reclamation.

69 Port House

This Edwardian house was built about 1905 as the Harbour Master's house with a magnificent view over his domain. Now used by the port authorities.