First Raadsaal - Pretoria
Architect: AF du Toit (landdrost)
Date: 1866-1867
This description is mostly based on a thesis by E.Y. van der Vyfer, who in turn refers to Peacock, Rex, etc.
First Old Raadsaal on Erf 412 around 1867 with goal on the same erf in the background. (Unidentified photographer)
Photo 1870s. Goal on the same erf in the background. (Unidentified photographer)
Landdrost A.F. du Toit wrote a letter to President M.W. Pretorius including a rough sketch of his proposed floor plan for the first Old Government building (c.1858). The plan was in an L-shape, which was to be placed on this corner erf, fronting on Church Square and Market Street. The gaol was to be built on the same erf.
Timeline
Description
The need for erecting civil buildings arose as soon as the town was established, but there was no money for this project and it would be quite some time before the Raadsaal would be built. In the mean time, government functions were housed in various structures in and around Church Square.
M.W. Pretorius was convinced that in time, the Raadsaal would be built once the Kerkplaats was accepted as a town, this despite the Volksraad’s refusal to establish the central seat of the Volksraad in Pretoria.
- Marthinus Wessel Pretorius (1819 - 1901) was the first president of the ZAR from 1881-1883.
- kerkplaats = the central church square
Landdrost A.F. du Toit attempted to construct a government building on this corner erf in 1858, but because early transfer did not take place, the Church Council of the Nederduitsch Hervormde Church laid claim to the property, believing that it was originally allocated to the Church and intended for the erection of a parsonage. This was a misunderstanding and M.W. Pretorius had to come to Pretoria to clear up the issue surrounding ownership. The Church Council was not sure which erf was intended to be the parsonage erf, probably because the government offices were already established in existing structures on other erven. Furthermore, since transfer of this property to the government only occurred on 28 September 1860, the Government would have been hesitant to construct a government building on the property of a private burgher, albeit M.W. Pretorius.
- Andries Francois du Toit (c.1813 - 1883) was a prominent Boer leader, land surveyor, magistrate, and early civic figure in Pretoria. He arrived in Pretoria around early 1857 (shortly after the town was laid out in 1855). In 1857, he resurveyed Pretoria "on a scientific basis" (heropgemeet), producing a second, more accurate map of the town's streets and erven. He became the first official Landdros of Pretoria in 1857.
Erf 412 (Old number 383): From the earliest days this erf was marked for the erection of a Government building. Although the design of the first Old Government building had been completed in 1860, tenders for the construction of the building were only requested on 21 June 1864.
The initial request for tenders was for an elongated cottage with seven rooms, namely government office, Volksraadsaal, offices of the landdrost and attorney-general, weeskamer, printer and post office. However, when the Executive Council revised the plan, the building contained only the Volksraadsaal and one office for the Executive, thus two rooms. The roofs were to be covered with dekriet (thatch) and not with corrugated iron due to its scarcity and high price. Fluitjiesriet and grass were specified, but they could not find fluitjesriet. With the revised plan the truss had to be covered with hanen balken riet but in the end a reed ceiling was added.
- fluitjiesriet = an indigenous SA wetland plant, used as a reed ceiling. Literary example: "Die tuin en wat CL Leipoldt die ‘bossieveld’ regs van die huis noem, was 'n ‘wonderlike paradys’, 'n soort veldskool waarin hy tussen blomme, fluitjiesriet en bamboes feitlik soos 'n natuurkind kon ronddwaal." (Kannemeyer, 1999)
- weeskamer = a historical Dutch institution responsible for managing the estates, inheritance, and guardianship of orphans.
"Die gebou met sy voltooiing het nog nie genoeg kantore gehad nie. Op voorstel van Landdros C. Moll wat nou sy geld gekry het, en Staatssekretaris J.W. Spruyt is die binnemuur van die raadsaal uitgeslaan en agter aan kantore opgerig. Een daarvan sou vir die privaatgebruik van die president wees. In 1866 kon die kantore na bogenoemde veranderings betrek word. Dit was 'n langwerpige L-vormige gebou wat aan die plein gefront het met 'n veranda en geheel onder grasdak. Agter aan die vergadersale is die kantore aangebou. Agter die Landskantore op dieselfde erf is die tronk opgerig." (Peacock, 1955)
A government clock was placed in the gable of the Executive Council Office on the Market Street side, which later became the Treasury Office. The goal was constructed at the same time as the first Old Raadsaal. It started off as a simple, rectangular, thatched building. Walls were built with stone and brick. The thatch roof was hipped, there was one external door and small windows with iron bars.
The firm of William Skinner and Louis Devereux, “The builders of Pretoria” as they called themselves with pride, won the tender. Building work commenced in 1866 and the first Volksraad meeting was held in this building on 15 May 1867.
- Skinner & Devereux also built the DR Church on Church square in c.1855.
At completion of the building, the Government did not have funds to pay the building contractors Skinner and Devereux. Landdrost C. Moll loaned them the money.
The original elongated thatch cottage with end gables and front verandah facing the Square could only accommodate the Volksraadsaal and the office of the president’s Executive Council. The state departments had to be housed in other private or government buildings. A big storm ripped the roof of the front stoep off and threw it down on the Executive Council’s office in 1868. Termites and woodworms usually caused damage to the woodwork and thatch roof of the building.
In 1866 new state departments were created and the need for more state offices increased, thus the extension on Market Street was planned. The building was to have an L-shape as A.F. du Toit proposed. The back offices would not be of thatch due to fire hazard and a corrugated iron roof was used. Corrugated iron sheets were ordered from Natal. In 1870 Skinner added three offices with a passage in the middle on the Market Street side.
After five years the building had become so dilapidated that Landdrost Skinner recommended the construction of a new building, which could only be completed in 1873. In the 1870s a corrugated iron lean-to roof was added to the north side and a lean-to addition was added to the western side. A chimney is visible on the northern side and by then, the building was probably not used as a goal anymore.
When work started on the construction of the new Post Office in 1886, it was reported that the small building behind the old Raasaal (the former goal) was used as Post Office. It seems that President M.W. Pretorius’s office later became the Weeskamer. The legal library was moved to the house of Judge Burgers where the Supreme Court in the mean time started to meet in 1885.
The building was demolished in 1888 to make way for the second Old Raadsaal.
Sources
- A critical interpretation of the temporal impact of landscape, space and power on the built environment of Church Square, Pretoria. 2018. Van der Vyfer, E.Y. (thesis)
- Die Geskiedenis van Pretoria 1855-1902. 1955. Peacock, R.
- Leipoldt. 'n Lewensverhaal. 1999. Kannemeyer, J.C.
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