Weeshuis-bouers

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Aka: N.H. Weesbouers, NHW Bouers, Nederduitsch Hervormde Weeshuisbouers

Established: 1951

Staff: Albert Herbst, Arie Van Delft, James (Jimmy) Steward, Harm Gerding, Hennie Visser, Fanie Vorster, and Douglas Jooste.

Albert Herbst (1975)³

  • Albertus (Albert) Bernardus van Niekerk Herbst (1920 - 1991 [70]) from 1956 (to at least 1981) he was administrateur van die Algemene Kerkvergadering. He was also chairman of the Maatskappy vir Europese Immigrasie. During the mid-1940s he served on the building comittee of the Brakpan NHK congregation. By 1948 he was principal of the Jac van Belkum-kinderhuis in Krugersdorp. In 1988 the Albert Herbst-kinderhuis (orphanage) in Middelburg was named after him. Herbst also initiated the NHW Pers (press that printed Die Hervormer and Almanak).⁵

The NHW Builders was established during 1951. Mr Arie van Delft served as the manager until 1976. The head office was situated in Jac van Belkum. The office was located next to the sewing room where Mrs Schutte and some of the girls repaired clothes. The NHW Builders primarily constructed churches and parsonages. Most of the churches were designed by the architects Hendrik Vermooten and Japie Bosman. The administration was handled by Arie van Delft, Harm Gerding, Hennie Visser, Fanie Vorster, and Douglas Jooste.⁵

Mrs. & Mr. Albert Herbst (1971)⁶

Many of the boys were trained as tradesmen in the building industry. The head office was moved to the Barton Keep building during 1959–1960 and later to the Dirk van der Hoff building in Jacob Maré Street. The profits on the projects were approximately 4% and later 6%. This construction industry, however, came to an end in 1976.⁵

They were the in-house building contractors for the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk (NHK). By 1974, they had completed their 57th NHK church building.²

"The establishment of buildings and the distribution of uplifting literature are tasks that occur normally in the course of church affairs. Several undertakings were called into life some years ago - a construction undertaking and a printing undertaking (one could almost call them "self-sustaining aftercare enterprises"). 

The construction undertaking has already erected about 70 church buildings (by 1973) and 47 other ecclesiastical buildings such as halls, homes, and parsonages, and the printing works has for years printed all the church's publications and other printing work - naturally, these two industries include vocational fields such as carpenters, bricklayers, plasterers, plumbers, electricians, hand typesetters, machine typesetters, printers, binders, book publishers, the book trade, and the various clerical posts associated with them.)

We have purchased a number of stands. When an apprentice nears the end of his training, such a stand is sold to him on easy terms. He pays it off, and by the time he begins thinking of a young lady, he is already a landowner. When he develops wedding plans, he is provided with advice and plans by our building department, as well as assistance with the erection of a dwelling by our building department. A first mortgage is then passed over his property for the construction costs in the usual manner. As quickly as he pays off his installments on the stand, that money is again used by us to pay off another stand to have it ready for the next apprentice. The same applies in connection with the construction industry." (1973)⁴

Some of the structures they built:

NH Kerk - Pietersburg Noord (1971): the contractor was to be the Weeshuis-bouers but due to their heavy workload at the time, they declined.

Sources

  1. eGGSA
  2. Viljoen, C.J. (1974) Nog 'n nuwe Kerkgebou: Pretoria-Tuine. Die Hervormer, Apr 1974.
  3. Breedt, L.A. (1975) Immigrasie. Die Hervormer, Feb 1975.
  4. Herbst, A.B. van N. (1973) Die Nederduitsch Hervormde weeshuis - vyftig jaar oud. Die Hervormer, Jan 1973.
  5. Fourie, K. (2024) Kinderversorging 100 jaar.
  6. Erasmus, G.A. (1971) Zeerust fier eeufees. Die Hervormer, Aug 1971.

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