VISIT

SWELLENDAM

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Photo by Bruce Flyinghorse

Historic Buildings

In 1743 Swellendam was declared a magisterial district, the third oldest in South Africa. This outlying settlement soon became a gateway to the interior, and was visited by many famous explorers.

Because of this Swellendam is rich in Historic Buildings and Heritage Sites. Here are a few of the Historic Buildings in the vicinity of the Drostdy and the Swellendam Tourism office.

Buildings shown below

4. Bukkenburg House

5. Georgian double-storey

6. Schoone Oordt

8. Old Boys School

List of Heritage sites

Drostdy

The Heemraad chose an excellent site for their Drostdy. It is situated to the east of the Korenlands River, on the road to the Cape and commands a fine view across the valley to the Langeberg Range.

Old Gaol

The building which, after so many years, is still called the Old Gaol is second only to the Drostdy, as the oldest and most interesting building in Swellendam.

18 Swellengrebel Street

This land formed part of the original Drostdy property which was subdivided in 1799. The house is a Georgian double-storeyed building dating from the middle of the last century and is architecturally outstanding. This land formed part of the original Drostdy property which was subdivided in 1799. The house is a Georgian double-storeyed building dating from the middle of the last century and is architecturally outstanding.

Mayville

This property is situated on land which originally formed part of the historical Drostdy complex in Swellendam. The house was built about 1853 for the owner, Daniël de Bruyn.

Bukkenburg House

This late nineteenth century dwelling, with its predominantly Victorian features, forms an integral part of the historic core of Swellendam in the immediate vicinity of the Drostdy.

Moerderkerk

Type of site: Church Current use: Church : Dutch Reformed. . The corner-stone of this building was laid on 25 November 1910. The church with its diversity of architectural syles was officially inaugurated on 10 June 1911 by Prof. C F J Muller.

Schoone Oordt

This double-storeyed house was built in 1853 in the Cape Georgian style and victorianised in the late-nineteenth century by the addition of a cast-iron verandah on both levels.

Old Boys School

The land on which this H-shaped house is situated was granted to Jacobus Wessel van Dijk in 1818. He was one of the well-known wainwrights of Swellendam and built the house round 1825. In 1839 Van Dijk sold the property and several Wainwrights owned the Type of site: School Previous use: School. The land was granted in 1818 to J W van Dyk, a wagonmaker who built the house in about 1825. There was a wagon-builder's workshop in the basement up to 1870. The building was then purchased for a school

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