Archistori

Aka:  Church of the Vow, Voortrekker-Museum Built:  1840-1841 : 1911 Original church (photo 1910).¹ Timeline Pietermaritzburg was founded in October 1837. The name is composed of the names of Piet Retief and Gerrit Maritz . Before the name Pietermaritzburg was given, the area was known as  Boesmansrant  (Bushman's Ridge). Pietermaritzburg was the first permanent congregation established by the Voortrekkers. A congregation was indeed founded at Winburg—however, it was a "Trek" (mobile) congregation. In 1839 Pietermaritzburg became the capital of the short-lived Republic of Natalia. From L-R: Ds. Erasmus Smit (1778-1863), Gerrit Maritz (1797-1838), Sarel Cilliers (1801-1871), Piet Retief  (1780-1838), Andries Pretorius (1798-1853) . The first minister to serve the Trekkers was the Reverend Erasmus Smit . During the trek, he held two worship services on Sundays and was also responsible for the catechism of the Trekker children. His wife, in turn, provided schoolin...

Denomination: Dutch Reformed (NG) Built:  1743-1748 Status: Extant Current Use:  Oude Kerk Volksmuseum View from north-east (2013). Source: Coral Grobler on Wikimedia Commons. View from north. Unidentified photographer. North gable (2009). Source: Norman Collins on Wikimedia Commons. From Red Sands to "Land van Waveren" The region situated north of the Drakenstein Mountains, bounded by the Ubiqua Mountains to the west and the Witzenberg to the east, was originally known as  Roodezand  (Dutch for "red sand") - where the roads from the Olifants valley, the Bokkeveld, the Roggeveld, and the Breede valley met.² In 1699, Governor Willem Adriaan van der Stel, who was called "the father of the stock farmer", was looking for a hinterland where cattle posts could be established. Already the Stellenbosch and Drakenstein people were complaining that their farms were too small, and there were other landless men clamouring for grants. Van der Stel crossed into the val...

Location: Kaalfontein Farm, Bronkhorstspruit Location map History The historic farm Kaalfontein, located along the old main road to Bronkhorstspruit, has been owned by descendants of Willem Petrus "Willem Wragtig" Prinsloo for several generations. His son "Lang Willem" Prinsloo lived on the farm. Willem Wragtig also briefly lived in the farmhouse which was built by Bap Massyn and Koos Koekemoer in 1882. Kaalfontein farmhouse pre-restoration. Restorica, 1979. In 1976, his great-granddaughter, Miertjie le Roux (née Prinsloo), donated a portion of the farm - including the old family homestead - to the National Cultural History and Open-Air Museum. The government approved the plan, and the museum immediately began restoring the homestead and outbuildings. The project became the Willem Prinsloo Open-Air Agricultural Museum, divided into two main sections: The historical section around the homestead: restored and furnished with original Prinsloo family pieces (some gene...