A fire on New Year’s Eve in 2018 razed most of the buildings in this Moravian Mission’s werf as well as over 50 houses in the settlement. The town is well known for its historical buildings and homogenous streetscapes of white thatched houses fronted by terraces.

 

Whilst the Rupert Foundation funded a team and full restoration of the church werf, the Cape Institute for Architecture, led by Heritage Committee Chair, John Wilson-Harris, volunteered to complete heritage assessments and drawings to gain Heritage Western Cape and municipal approvals for the houses pro bono. This was completed through 2020 and into 2021.

 

The Rupert Foundation then agreed to fund the house restoration and this practice has been involved with co-ordinating the work.

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For more information on the rebuilding of the houses, see write up in

VASSA’s Journal 39 (Link below).

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