On 29 September 1969 Tulbagh was hit by an earthquake of 6.8 on the Richter Scale. Although the old buildings in Church Street were badly damaged imaginative and careful restoration has returned them to their original structures. Sadly, however, the same care and money was not expended on the homes of the coloured population whose suburb was destroyed and they were roughly moved to a new location.
Church Street today is a quiet, elegant street in Tulbagh, filled with trees and plants.
No.6 Church Street, De Oude Herberg, was built in 1860 and has been a guest house since 1885.
No.12 Church Street was built in 1743 and is the oldest house on the street. It was built for the surgeon, Nicholaas Fuchs, and after his death in 1754 the Church bought the property for their Reader and Sick Comforter and it became the first school in the Valley. It is now Readers Restaurant where we had one very good and one indifferent meal.
No.21 Church Street is named after one of its owners, the Boer war hero Danie Theron (1872-1900). He is known for founding a bicycle corps for communications.
Paddagang at 23 Church Street houses a restaurant. No.24 Church Street dates to c.1820 when it was built by a Mr De Lange and it is the only H-shaped gabled house in the Street. No.25 has lovely broekie lace decoration over the stoep. No.26 Church Street was built in 1796 by Jakob de Bruin. No.28 is part of the Tulbagh Hotel.
No.36 Church Street, Mon Bijou, was built in 1812 on land which the church sold to raise money for a new church building by Catherina Magaretha de Wet, the widow of as local farmer. The architect is believed to be Louis Michel Thibault, so she must have been a very wealthy woman. By 1949 the old house was fairly dilapidated when it was bought and restored by Sir Alfred Beit. No.41 Church Street was built by Henrik Vos on land bought from the Church in 1796; after 1870 it was used as a parsonage, and since restoration after the earthquake it has been owned by Rembrandt.
No.43 Church Street, Ballotina, was probably designed by Louis Michel Thibault (also responsible for the Old Drostdy and Mon Bijou) and built in 1815 for the widow of the Reverend H. W. Ballot, Elizabeth Wilhelmina Cruywagen. The house was restored in 1972
And at the head of the street is the old rectory.
Further information
Restoration work
Commandant Danie Theron
Heyjude
Beautiful buildings. You are visiting some very interesting towns.