Cape Dutch Homes

Early homes in Cape Town and its surrounds, were built in the Cape Dutch architectural style, unique to a small area of the world and unquestionably beautiful. The style has sources as widely different as mediaeval Holland and Germany, the France of the Huguenots and the islands of Indonesia.

The Cape Dutch style owes much of its existence to Malay artisans who designed many of the structures and built them without a single blueprint or plan.

Early settlers dissimilar lifestyles, food, religion and design styles, played a major role in the cultural and architectural development of the Cape.

Wikipedia: Cape Dutch architecture is an architectural style found in the Western Cape of South Africa. The style was prominent in the early days of the Cape Colony, and the name derives from the fact that the initial settlers of the Cape were primarily Dutch. Houses in this style have a distinctive and recognizable design, with a prominent feature being the grand, ornately rounded gables, reminiscent of the townhouses of Amsterdam. The houses are also usually H-shaped, with the front section of the house usually being flanked by two wings running perpendicular to it. Furthermore, walls are whitewashed, and the roofs are thatched.

MSN:   Gable (gáyb’l) – the triangular top section of a side wall on a building with a pitched roof that fills the space beneath where the roof slopes meet.

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Franschhoek's Thatched - Gabled Cape Dutch Homes

French Huguenots

In April 1688, the first 270 French Huguenots settlers arrived in Saldana Bay, South Africa. Exiles from their country, persecuted for their Protestant faith, they left France in search of tolerance and freedom, bringing with them a significant knowledge of viticulture.
 

Franschhoek - Oliphanstshoek

The first farm in the Franschhoek valley was granted to Swiss colonist Henrich Mòller in 1692 and named Keerweder .  In 1694, Governor of the Cape Simon van der Stel welcomed more Huguenots and the skills they brought with them. In October 1694, nine French Huguenots and a Prussian family were granted farms in Oliphantshoek, an area frequented by herds of elephant. The settlers set about naming their farms in memory of their distant homeland.

By 1713 the valley was being referred to as "de France Hoek", or "the French corner". In 1805 "Franschhoek" became official. Local  legend has it that in 1836, the last elephants, a mother and calf, were seen leaving the valley on what is today the Franschhoek pass.

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Images of Franschhoek's gabled Cape Dutch homes follow.

Portions of an article by Nicole Crozier are inter-dispersed.
 

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Babylons Toren

Babylons Toren is a historic working fruit and wine farm situated on the slopes of Simonsberg in the heart of the Cape Winelands. Of special note is a fantastic slave bell.

Excerpts by Nicole Crozier

Beyond the Hottentots mountain range, across rolling hills and flat plains reaching out to the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, the southern most tip of the African continent is home to the oldest city in South Africa. Today, this international city protects its past through architecture and invites travelers and adventurers from all over the world to visit and if they love it enough, to stay. Over 300 years ago, a population of less than 10 000 created their own architectural style; Cape Dutch. Dominating the area for more than 200 years, the white washed walls and gables topped with reed-thatch continue to be admired and replicated for their distinctive characteristics. The story of Cape Dutch Architecture is one of ingenuity, of beauty and of making-do. It is the story of the little provisions stop that did.

cont.

Basse Provence

 

Basse Provence is a four star rated country guest house situated on an historical working wine farm in the picturesque valley of Franschhoek. This landmark Cape Dutch manor house sits invitingly amongst the vines and 300 year old oak trees. The interior is a fine blend of traditional Huguenot heritage and South African culture.

Excerpts by Nicole Crozier

 Diverse influences from medieval Holland and Germany, French Huguenots and Indonesia contributed to the graceful and unique style known as Cape Dutch Architecture. A small population mingling Eastern and European styles combined with local resources resulted in the elegant, reed thatch buildings found all over the Western Cape Province. These Cape Dutch Homesteads are not a product of a formal school of architecture but instead were created out of necessity and designed from the creative minds of their craftsmen.

cont..

"Willersdorf" Bo La Motte

 

"Willersdorf" Bo La Motte is a portion of one of nine original historic Huguenot wine farms. It is a working farm nestled under Middagkrans mountain, commanding an astonishing view of the valley. In 1709 Pierre Joubert named his farm La Motte after his home village in France; "La Motte d'Agues". "Bo" meaning "up" in Afrikaans, locates this historic ground as "upper La Motte". No wonder, as it is located up the Franschhoek pass on what was once the old elephant trail.

Pierre Joubert boarded the Berg China in Rotterdam on the 20th of March 1688. The vessel was 160 feet long and carried 175 passengers. On August 4th 1688, Pierre Joubert arrived in Table Bay. Four in a half months had passed, whilst 19 people had perished.

History of the Cape -  Excerpts by Nicole Crozier

On the 6th of April, 1652, the first adventurers disembarked at the Southern tip of Africa with economic intentions. The Dutch East India Company with a few hundred employees arrived at the base of Table Mountain to establish a provisions stop for passing ships. Fresh produce and meat were farmed and made available to weary sailors whose travels from Europe to Eastern markets and back again were demanding. Many men lost their lives on these merchant journeys due to disease and treacherous weather conditions. Sailors were grateful for the provisions stop at the meeting place of the Atlantic and the Indian Oceans, also known as, ‘The Cape of Storms.’

cont...

History of the Cape -  Excerpts by Nicole Crozier

With the financial success of the provisions stop, a Dutch Governor was sent to The Cape to continue its development. The first thing Simon van der Stel did was to send out scouting parties to find fertile mountain soil. He was interested in the cultivation of grapes. Today he is known as the father of one of the country’s most significant industries and cultural identities; wine.

cont...

Boschendal

 

Boschendal, enjoys a number of thatched Cape Dutch gabled out buildings. This one is known as the Boschendal Waenhuis. The name Boschendal means "wood and dale", a broad wooded lowland valley. In 1897 Boschendal, Rhone and several other farms were bought by Cecil John Rhodes to form Rhodes Fruit Farms. In the last few years has it become known collectively as the "Boschendal Estate".

 

History of the Cape -  Excerpts by Nicole Crozier

In 1685 he selected his farm and called it Groot Constantia. Van der Stel selected a plot with fertile soil and a view of the Cape flats stretching out to the Indian Ocean. The homestead remains one of the oldest examples of Cape Dutch Architecture in South Africa. The farm, still functioning today produces award winning wine and is open to the public. Visitors can explore an antique furniture and local history museum, wander the lush grounds, have a meal at Simon’s Restaurant and admire the more than three centuries old Cape Dutch buildings from both inside the thatch roofed rooms and the uniquely designed exterior gables.

Gable – the triangle formed by a sloping roof. A building may be front-gabled or
side-gabled. Porches and dormers may also be gabled.

cont...

Burgundy Bourgogne

 

Burgundy Bourgogne was established by Pierre De Villiers in 1694.

 

 

 

Pierre De Villiers named the farm Bourgogne after his home town in France.

 

The main homestead was built in 1791 and features a unique holbol gable design.

 

History of the Cape -  Excerpts by Nicole Crozier cont.

In the 1700’s the population of the company’s provisions stop began to grow. European immigration and the approved slave policy (1717) increased the number of settlers to the Cape dramatically. Thousands of Malay individuals from the Dutch colony of Indonesia arrived in the Cape as did hundreds of French Huguenots. The arrival of the French Huguenots brought wine cultivation and the Indonesians brought artisan skills.

cont.

 

 

Dieu Donne

 

 

 

Dieu Donné is a working wine farm situated high on the steep southwest facing slopes of the Franschhoek mountains.

History of the Cape -  Excerpts by Nicole Crozier cont.

When King Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes, providing religious tolerance in France, many Huguenot (protestant) refugees made their way to Holland. The Governor of the Cape, Simon Van der Stel requested that any individuals with wine farming experience be provided passage to his settlement. Roughly 200 arrived and set out to establish the wine industry. The Cape Dutch style owes much of its existence to the French Huguenots for bringing with them contemporary European design ideas and incorporating them into farmsteads.

The dissimilar design styles, lifestyle, food and religion of the Malay slaves played a major role in the cultural and architectural development of Cape Town. These influences today are an integral part of society. The Cape Dutch style also owes much of its existence to these artisans who designed many of the structures and built them without a single blueprint or plan.
 

cont.

Dieu Donne

Dieu Donné enjoys multiple thatched gabled homesteads.

History of the Cape -  Excerpts by Nicole Crozier cont.

The Cape flourished as French, English, Danish, American, Portuguese, Austrian, Spanish, Swedish and Prussian ships filled the harbor. Provisions prices doubled, tripled and doubled again; the local farmer was doing well for himself. As more and more immigrants arrived to stay, the population growth became increasingly demanding on the natural resources. Shortly all of the timber within wagon-haul had been cut. The bricks being locally produced weathered badly and importation of building materials from Europe was not financially viable; the round-trip to Amsterdam took a year, and such a voyage might take a third of the crew’s lives.

cont.

History of the Cape -  Excerpts by Nicole Crozier cont.

So, in 1778 the first exploratory mission up the Indian Ocean on the east coast of Africa was organized. The journey proved sailors’ tales to be true. The great forests of Knysna and Plettenberg Bay had enormous trees thrice as high as a ship’s mast! It wasn’t long before Yellowwood, Stinkwood and Ironwood were made available for beams, door-panels, ceiling and floor-boards, as well as for furniture.

This discovery was a great and final contribution to the Cape by the Dutch East India Company. By 1780, Holland was declining as a Maritime power. Consequently, foreign ships, paying the local farmer’s high prices, outnumbered the Dutch three to one. The Company was heading towards ruin and in 1793 became insolvent. The Cape’s future was uncertain.

cont.

Grande Provence

 

Grande Provence estate wears her 300-year history with dignity. Lush vines spread across 30 hectares with gentle vistas over the Franschhoek's valley floor. It boasts both an art gallery and restaurant to die for.

 

History of the Cape -  Excerpts by Nicole Crozier cont.

During the Knysna and Plettenberg forest discoveries, Britain and Holland were at war (1780-1783). A British fleet sailed to take ownership of the Cape but was attacked and disabled by the French. As a result two French regiments arrived in the Cape. One of the men, Louis Michel Thibault, a Parisian architect, decided to make the Cape his new home. During his lifetime, he contributed significantly to Cape Dutch architecture and his name is attached to many exquisite buildings including the gables (not part of the original construction but added later) to Groot Constantia, the lions at the Castle and the magistrate in Tulbagh.

cont.

Keerweder

Keerweder; The farm was the very first to be allotted to a European in the Franschhoek Valley by the Dutch East India Company. It was granted to Henrich Mòllern in 1692 by Simon van der Stel. Mòllern came from Basle in Switzerland. When the Huguenots settled in the area in 1694, Keerweder had already been cultivated. 

 

The name Keerweder originates from the the high mountains surrounding Franschhoek which were insurmountable obstacles for travelers, who could not pass over them and had to turn back. (In Dutch 'turn back' is 'keeren weder'.)

 

History of the Cape -  Excerpts by Nicole Crozier cont.

Over the next 30 years, rule at the Cape changed hands numerous times and was finally fought for and won by the British. In 1814 the Cape Colony formally belonged to Britain. Cape Town continued to grow as a port and became known as the, ‘Tavern of Seas’ for all passing vessels. Outside of town, villages formed around churches. The majority of Cape Dutch buildings were erected during this time. As the 19th century progressed so did the economy and in turn the ornate manner of the homes and specifically their gables. Cape Dutch style flourished for the remainder of the century before losing its popularity to neo-classical architecture.

cont.

L' Ormarins

 

L’Ormarins received its name from its original owner Jean Roi, a French Huguenot.

In 1694 he named it after his hometown Lourmarin in French Provence.

 

Jean Roi boarded the Berg China in Rotterdam on March 20, 1688. The vessel was 160 feet long, carried 175 passengers and took over four months to arrive. Taking over 4 months to sail, Jean Roi arrived in Table Bay on the 4th of August 1688. Nineteen people had died.

 

The Development of a Style -  Excerpts by Nicole Crozier cont.

The entire motive for the existence of the Cape was agricultural. Produce and cattle were farmed to supply passing ships and the employees living at the Dutch East India’s provisions stop. Consequently, homes were needed for the farmers and merchants. Built strictly out of necessity they were initially very basic and small. Using the humble materials available; roofs were made of wild reeds, indigenous wood was used for frames and support beams while the walls were clay, thick rubble or burnt brick. Sea shells provided the basis for lime-motor and floors were often made with compacted peach pips or left earthen.
 

cont.

L' Ormarins

L’Ormarins  enjoys a number of thatched Cape Dutch gabled out buildings, all surrounded by the Groot Drakenstein mountains .

The Development of a Style -  Excerpts by Nicole Crozier cont.

With minimal technology and a low availability of local materials, building was limited. This resulted in basic structures being only 6 meters wide and having a consistent roof pitch of 45 degrees. In order to build larger homes, buildings were extended in Northern European longhouse fashion. This is one of the reasons why many consider Cape Dutch Architecture to be based on Northern European style. However, the most distinctive and uniquely defining characteristic of Cape Dutch Architecture is the central dormer gable. There is no other style that can claim this prominent feature as theirs. Each Cape Dutch building has an individualized gable with consistent features including; date of construction, molded decorations and a prominent centralized location. It was in the first half of the 18th century that the gables began to appear in their variety of styles and decorations. They were created largely by the Malay craftsmen and the completely non-European carvings indicate this.

cont.

La Bri

 

La Bri has been the source of fine wines for centuries. It is centered in the valley and surrounded by an imposing amphitheater of the Franschhoek mountains.
 

The Development of a Style -  Excerpts by Nicole Crozier cont.

As the economy and population grew in the Cape so did the ornate manner of gables, the size of the homesteads and the value of materials used. It was the gable however which came to represent the financial wealth of the settler. The signature social status of wealth, of ownership, of individuality, of dominance and power over the landscape and social structure is what gables came to represent. The approximate date of a building can be surmised at first glance of the central gable. The more elaborate the design work, the later the date of construction. Gables can also be classified chronologically in order of their development; earlier gables of the late 1600’s and early 1700’s were Lobed or curvilinear before moving into concave or convex shapes. Followed by transitional styles and finally in the late 1800’s into Neo-Classical style, before their demise.

cont.

La Brie

 

La Brie was granted in 1689 to Jacques de Villiers. Its present day homestead was completed in 1787. The farm is adjacent to La Bri and like it, surrounded by the imposing amphitheater of the Franschhoek mountains.
 

The Development of a Style -  Excerpts by Nicole Crozier cont.

A Cape Dutch homestead is of course more than the sum of its central gable. The early Cape houses were built very symmetrically. At the front, the central door was the builder's focal point and on either side, equally spaced, were two half-windows with two or four full-width windows. Most homes had a room at the entrance, rooms on both sides and a back room. The kitchens had open fireplaces and a Dutch oven fitted with iron bars to hold cooking pots. In town, chimneys were ruled out because of the threat of fire.
 

cont.

The Development of a Style -  Excerpts by Nicole Crozier cont.

By the mid-18th century as prosperity increased so did the elaborate nature of homes. Gables became more ornate and the size of homes increased. Homeowners began to add wings onto both ends of their basic structures. The result was the U-plan. At about the same time, the T-plan was evolving in the rural areas. This model had a single wing, with the kitchen at the end and was attached like a tail to the centre of the basic building. Later, another wing was added at right angels to the T and parallel to the original building creating ultimate design in country houses, the H-plan.
 

cont.

La Motte

 

La Motte is an emulate wine estate with a number of thatched gabled homes, the oldest erected in 1751. The land on which La Motte is situated was awarded to a German immigrant in 1695, but in 1709, sold to Pierre Joubert. Joubert named the farm after his home village in France; La Motte d'Agues.

 

Pierre Joubert had boarded the Berg China in Rotterdam on the 20th of March 1688. The vessel was 160 feet long and carried 175 passengers. On August 4th 1688, Joubert arrived in Table Bay. Four in a half months had passed, whilst 19 people had died.

 

The estate is locally famous for its wines, the contribution to the arts and above all, for what has become unsurpassed upliftment of the people who play a vital part in the farms everyday activities.

 

The Development of a Style -  Excerpts by Nicole Crozier cont.

During this architectural transformation, materials changed as well. Floors originally made of peach pips or compacted earth started to be covered in Robben Island slate, shutters were crafted to protect windows and stronger wood like ironwood was used in construction.
 

cont.

Plaisir De Merle

 

Plaisir de Merle dates to 1687 when the French Huguenot, Charles Marais and his family were granted the land by Governor Simon van der Stel. They named the farm Le Plessis Marly after the small village from which they had come in France. Over time, the pronunciation changed.

 

The Development of a Style -  Excerpts by Nicole Crozier cont.

Later still, outbuildings began to appear. These included a jonkershuis (house for the eldest son), stables, a coach-house, slaves' quarters and a wine cellar. A wall typically encircled the whole farmyard. Often farms were magnificently placed against mountain backdrops and surrounded by agricultural lands presuming a ceremonial quality. Arriving at gateposts which mark the beginning of a tree lined avenue, following beneath the canopy towards an opening in a white, waist high wall to reach a set of stairs leading onto a porch and front door beneath a uniquely molded gable. This is the experience of entering a Cape Dutch home. It remains the very same as it has for hundreds of years. A relentlessly symmetrical front, sensible floor plan, additional wings forming a U, T or H shape, reed thatch roof, white washed walls, raised stoop and a gable; these are the defining characteristics of a Cape Dutch home.
 

cont.

Rhone

 

Rhone was granted to Jean Gardé in 1691. Gardé was a Huguenot who acquired the adjacent farm Languedoc from Pierre Bénézet in 1700.

 

Neo-classical elements can be seen in the triangular pediment, fluted pilasters and the true fan-light over the front door.

 

In 1897 Rhone, Boschendal and several other farms were bought by Cecil John Rhodes to form Rhodes Fruit Farms. In the last few years has it become known collectively as the "Boschendal Estate".
 

The Development of a Style -  Excerpts by Nicole Crozier cont.

The graceful buildings that stand as a testament to the skill and strength of the Cape’s past also carry secrets. Who built them? Who designed them? There is a certainty that a few men, notably, Louis Michel Thibault from France, Anton Anreith, a young sculptor and woodcarver from Germany and Hermann Shutter, a young architect and builder also from Germany, contributed much to the Cape Dutch style and the development of the settlement. However, the truth is that most of the architecture of the period is anonymous.

cont.

The Development of a Style -  Excerpts by Nicole Crozier cont.

The farmer of the 18th century led a patriarchal existence: farms were isolated, communications incredibly slow; and communities did all the work required to keep a farm going, including building. Wealthy farmers often had a staff of artisans which included masons, smiths, wagon-wrights and cabinet makers. These men were both free as well as slaves and were sent to neighboring farms to construct buildings. This system would account for identical gables on different homesteads and the ‘home made’ construction results. It is not uncommon for a Cape Dutch building to have unleveled floors, door and window frames. There is very little to indicate who built most structures. This unique style owes much of its elegance and grandeur to the unknown architects.

cont.

Zandvliet - Solms-Delta

The Development of a Style -  Excerpts by Nicole Crozier cont.

The decline of the Cape Dutch Style began in the 1840s. With the introduction of spine walls it became possible to construct wider buildings. Homesteads were facing erosion intensified by the porous brick walls and flammable thatch roofs. Open hearths in kitchens combined with the infamous southeast wind were the cause of many destructive fires especially in towns. By the end of the 18th century many of Cape Town's thatched and gabled dwellings had vanished. Flat roofed and often double storied houses began to appear.

Today there are only about 400 intact original Cape Dutch homesteads left in South Africa.

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Nicole Crozier is a freelance writer, actor, traveler and inquisitive soul who came upon Cape Dutch Architecture during her sojourn in South Africa. Born and now returned to Toronto, Canada, Nicole continues to receive widespread interest in her research. Innately curious, Nicole absorbed all that she could about South African history and through this developed an attachment to the white washed walls and organic pitched roofs of Cape Dutch buildings.

Information provided as a service to viewers.

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