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Coornhoop
Observatory, Cape Town, Western Cape
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Click to view large map Coordinates: | Also referred to as Koornhoop. Coornhoop was initially a small fortification, erected in 1657 to protect the recently-established farming settlement along the Liesbeeck river. It was included in a large tract of land, stretching from the main road to the river, which was granted to Thieleman Hendricksz in 1661. The farm was divided in three in 1785, and the northern and middle portions were sold. The suburban railway line was put through the remainder of the farm in 1863/64, placing the house east of the line. Mining magnate Harry Struben bought the remainder, together with some adjoining properties, and consolidated them in 1890. Andries Pickard bought the house and adjoining outbuildings from Struben's deceased estate in 1915. His property was subdivided in 1948, and Dixton Road was extended through it. One of the outbuildings, the pigeon loft (or dovecote) was declared a national monument in 1966. The other buildings have a heritage grading of 3A ("excellent examples of their kind"). The city council describes them as "adaptive re-use of remaining historic buildings", with "much historic layering" and "older fabric contained within the existing historic buildings". (Arthur Radburn, March 2026) In 1892 HW Struben, a man who laid claim to having discovered the Main Reef, bought the southern part of Coornhoop. Struben demolished the front, and the present house on Coornhoop, now standing to one side of the property, is merely the back of what was once a large H-shaped house. He is said to have used some of the timber in building Strubenheim, now the College of Music. Recent restoration has provided much interesting information. The two outbuildings flanking the pigeon-house were shown to have been made by joining up three small separate buildings made of koffieklip and blocks of ant heap. The antiquity of these three buildings must have been very great; they were probably not later than the early 18th century. Two other barns, probably equally old, were demolished; the one sacrificed to make way for the new road was certainly the Company's [VOC] 1657 barn. The end-gables of the two remaining barns are of the pointed holbol type used after cl795 and their date is probably 1797 or soon after. The unique and highly sophisticated pigeon-house or columbarium itself is two-storeyed, of the type also occurring at Ganzekraal (where it is also set back and flanked by outbuildings). Certainly put up by Servaas van Breda, it shows the influence of contemporary town-house design, with a moulding along the top and a pediment spanning about one-third of the width. Two rows of three round-headed arches (behind which the pigeon-holes are situated) take the place of windows. These openings are lined with unplastered bricks much like the Groot Constantia cellar. What is left of this once extensive farm complex was bought by the Simon van der Stel Foundation and restored in 1964. The barns were turned into apartments, which necessitated certain alterations diminishing their authenticity. Conversions such as this, of course, were not at all unknown in the 18th century. The gaping carports, their arches supposed to repeat those of the columbarium, however, are unfortunate. [Oberholster pp40-41. Walton: Dovecots p30. Hartdegen p12.] (Extracted from Fransen 2004:92-93). (UCT BC 206: Box 96) References:
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