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House Morgan
Tshwane (Pretoria), Gauteng
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Click to view large map Coordinates: | Architectural Description The house was sited centrally on the extensive, linear, north facing property. The site was planned with vehicle access and a linear driveway on the east side of the property to access the garage and outbuildings on the south-east side. A pedestrian gate on the street boundary provided access onto a garden path placed axially in relation to the front entrance door. The large double storey Edwardian style detached dwelling house had an extended L-shaped plan with projecting bay on the northwest side at the termination of the longer leg. The house was detailed with references to the Arts and Crafts style and was influenced to a lesser extent by the style popularised by proponents of the South African ‘Baker School’. The main (north) facade was designed as two equal modules - that on the north-east side a double storey wall plane punctured by two small window opening; that on the north-west side defined by two deeply recessed verandahs. At ground floor the verandah provided a covered lobby to the front door and at first floor it was a secure summer sleeping porch. A feature of the ground floor verandah was the centrally placed plastered column with quarry tile capital; a feature of the first floor verandah was the centrally placed Tuscan style precast concrete column supporting the beam and roof overhead. The north-facing portion of the house facing Struben Street (now Lynnwood Road), was constructed on a plinth of hammer dressed, banded metamorphosed shale - probably sourced locally - and laid in carefully defined irregular courses. On the north-east corner of the house, the stone plinth was extended upwards to form an external dado to the projecting chimney and adjacent half bay window. The rest of the house was provided with a projecting red-face brick plinth in English bond, with champhered top course forming the interface with the smooth plastered wall above. The original windows were metal framed casements - sometimes inward opening with leaded light window panes - set in heavy timber sub-frames. The inward opening windows permitted the use of externally mounted timber shutters. The hipped roof was clad with Paris pattern Marseilles clay roof tiles, made at the Coronation Brick and Tile Co in Durban - as evidenced by the circular manufacturer’s stamp visible on the underside of the tiles. The rafter ends were fret-sawn with a simple moulded pattern and supported half round galvanised iron gutters. The bay window adjacent to the projecting chimney on the east side was roofed with Broseley pattern clay roof tiles – probably also sourced from the Coronation yards. Two tall face-brick chimney stacks - each servicing two internal fireplaces - projected through the tiled roof on the east side of the house. The rectangular brickwork stacks each accommodated two flues and were finely constructed in English Bond brickwork. The dividing wall between the two flues was defined on the external broader face of the stack with a narrow vertical recess. The chimney shaft was terminated with a projecting brick string-course which in turn formed the base of the elegantly detailed capital of the chimney. The capital comprised a broad coved and cantilevered plastered band, capped with a hipped, quarry tiled upper surface, surmounted by a pair of traditional clay chimney pots. The fireplaces were crafted with klompie bricks laid in stretcher bond. These small scale red face bricks were used to construct a narrow hearth at floor level using a brick-on-edge stretcher bond. The reveals, back wall and frame around the fire place were constructed in a stretcher bond. In the case of the living room fireplace a segmental arch with flattened top-chord and projecting 'key-stone' was constructed with a narrow quarry tile or Broseley tile (in the same red colour) laid in soldier course with radiating voussoirs. The similarly detailed fireplaces at first floor were either provided with a semi-circular arch or a flat arch in quarry tiles - albeit that these are now painted. The brickwork fireplace surrounds were flanked on either side with a moulded hardwood rail and capped with a matching moulded timber rail and a mantelpiece. An integral feature of each of the three fireplaces was the shallow recessed plastered arch which surmounted it. The arch to the living room fireplace was provided with a projecting keystone which served to provide visual 'support' to the main overhead structural beam spanning across the ceiling. The fireplace in the living room was flanked by a small bay window with built-in seat. The internal timber staircase was a finely constructed newel-posted timber stair with a u-shaped plan with short bottom flight (3 risers), a square intermediate landing, a substantial middle flight (15 risers), another square intermediate landing and a short final upper flight (3 risers). The newel post capitals were carefully detailed with champhered corners and a domed upper surface - except for the first newel post which rose vertically to support the gallery at first floor. The hand rails were a simple rectangular section with a rounded upper surface. The balusters were simply turned from a square timber section and were fixed between the upper sloping surface of the stair stringer and the underside of the handrail. Architecturally the staircase was a central and significant feature of the house, with an open gallery flanking it at first floor and an open passage flanking it at ground floor. The open passage was provided with a broad timber plate rail supported on curved timber brackets. A narrow window provided light and ventilation to the stair well. The glass panes of the leaded light were of purple glass possibly to restrict the amount of harsh west sunlight into the space - the internal reveals of this window were also deeply splayed presumably to maximize the incoming light into the space. An interesting feature of the living room was the large pair of pocket sliding doors that separated this space from the adjacent dining room. The original kitchen space had a recess at the base of the chimney - which probably accommodated a flue pipe from an AGA stove or similar coal burning device. The kitchen was provided with a red face-brick skirting around the perimeter of the room. A feature of the first floor bathroom was the arrangement of the enamelled cast iron bath as a free standing item in the centre of the room. The outbuildings were designed and constructed as a simple utilitarian building with a linear rectangular plan. Roofed with a simple mono-pitch corrugated iron roof with 'clipped' eaves, the corrugated iron sheet at each end was finished with a carefully rolled edge to protect the timber fascia below. History of the property The property - described as Erf 24 Brooklyn - was first transferred in 1903 when it was registered in the name of Solomon Kessel in June 19031. This was after “certain Lot No. 24 situate in Struben Street, on that portion now called Brooklyn, of the quitrent Farm Uitvalgrond No. 67, District Pretoria, Ward Apiesrivier, transferred to the ....late James Brooks by Deed of Transfer No. 1622/1896 dated 17th April 1896”2 , was purchased by Kessel for the sum of £490.0.0, together with Erf 25 and Erf 10, Brooklyn, from the estate of the late James Brooks.3 The ownership of the property did not rest with Kessel for long, as the property was subsequently purchased by Philip Baily Eastwood. The transfer of ownership was formalised in late 19034. The neighbouring property to the east, i.e. Erf 22, was at that stage also registered in favour of Eastwood.5 Sixteen years later in April 1919, the property again changed hands when Anthony Eduard Du Toit became the new registered owner after his purchase of the property, together with the neighbouring Erf 22, from the estate of the late Philip Baily Eastwood. The Executrix Testamentary in the estate in question was Sara Blanche Buyskes Eastwood (born Kuys), the wife of the deceased.6 On 13 February 1923, Ruth Morgan (born Brain, in 1895) and married out of community of property to Joseph Alun Morgan, purchased both properties, i.e. Erven 24 and 22 from Du Toit. The change of ownership to Ruth Morgan as the new owner, was formalised in February 1923.7 The earliest municipal submission drawing from what is unfortunately an incomplete plan record of the property, described the proposed installation of drainage for the Morgans. While the drawing is not dated, it is concluded with relative certainty that it dates from the late 1920’s – early 1930’s, as the architects responsible for the drawing were J.A. Hofman and P.J.C. Hofman, who practiced in partnership in Pretoria under the name Hofman & Hofman from approximately 1928 until 1932.8 It is likely that the house was designed by Hofman & Hofman and this was almost certainly the reason the practice was appointed to attend to the drainage proposal a few years after the completion of the house. The municipal submission drawing described the installation of an underground sewer to connect to the municipal sewer in Struben Road (now Lynnwood Road). This modification to the existing sanitary arrangements would have been triggered by the installation of a waterborne municipal sewerage system. Whether the existing sanitary arrangements on the property were Earth Closets (EC), with night soil buckets removed by the Municipality, or Water Closets (WC), discharging into a septic tank and French drain is not clear. In addition to the underground sewer the drawing provided for the installation of a new shower for the ‘Native’ (sic.) in the west end of the existing freestanding outbuildings, adjacent the south boundary. The drawing also provided for the installation of a WC within the house in the existing toilet cubicle at Ground Floor, and the installation of a WC and relocation of the bath within the existing first floor bathroom. Municipal valuation figures in respect of Erf 24 were recorded during the 1940’s as follows:
Ruth Morgan remained the owner until 1951 when the property was purchased from her by Aletta Johanna Sonnenberg, in whose name the property was registered in June 1951. Aletta Sonnenberg (born Erasmus, in 1912) was married out-of-community of property to Aubrey Sonnenberg, when she took ownership.11 The original outbuilding was not of the same standard and scale as the house. By the late 1940’s, the scale and dimensions of passenger cars had increased significantly and many families were purchasing second cars. These factors were the likely triggers for the proposal by Aletta Sonnenberg in late 1951, to lengthen the existing single garage, and to construct an additional similarly sized single garage alongside. This work would have been completed in early 1952. The existing mono-pitch roof of the outbuilding was extended where necessary and mirrored as a mono-pitch roof over the new garage. This minor addition in the same basic material and finishes, only served to increase the footprint and improve the building’s usefulness. In 1960, the property was registered in favour of Eugene Cremonx Raymond12. Born on 17 May 1923. Qualified as a medical doctor (University of Cape Town) in 1952; was subsequently in private practice on the East Rand (Boksburg and Benoni), and in Brits; joined 6 Field Ambulance (Citizen Force) in 1952; appointed Second-in-Command of 1 Military Hospital, Voortrekkerhoogte (now Thaba Tshwane) after joining the SA Union Defence Force as a permanent member in 1956; in 1957, was appointed Commanding Officer, 1 SA Military Hospital, and Assistant Surgeon-General, Northern Transvaal Command in February 1960; in December 1965, was promoted to the rank of Brigadier to hold the position of Surgeon-General of the SA Defence Force, at Defence Headquarters in Pretoria; retired from military service on 31 March 1969 with the rank of Major-General.13 Major-General Raymond was married (on 13 December 1947) to Margie Raymond (born Mulder). As Surgeon-General of the SA Defence Force, he was a member of the SA Nursing Council, SA Medical and Dental Council, and SA Medical Association. He was also a member of the SA Academy for Science and Arts, was awarded the Star of South Africa (SSA), and was a recipient of the Southern Cross Medal (SM).14 Changes in 1970 for Major-General Raymond, included a substantial addition to the west side of the house. This required the demolition of an existing linear pergola which had been accessed from the west side of the stoep. The addition comprised a single storey wing on the west side of the house which was primarily intended to create a much more substantially scaled sitting room, facing onto the north garden through large glazed sliding doors. A study, bedroom, bathroom, shower room, and laundry were attached, linked with an L-shaped passage fronting onto a rectangular courtyard. The detail planning of the addition suggests that it might have been intended as a second dwelling unit or perhaps a ‘granny-flat’, which could be relatively easily separated from the rest of the house. The architectural resolution was in keeping with the original house with hipped clay tile roofs and a substantial, albeit modern chimney stack. A large attached carport with lean-to roof was also included on the south side of the house. In later years, Major-General Raymond was married (out-of-community of property) to Dr. Corra Anette Erasmus, and in 1992, they were farming near Hammanskraal.15 Major-General Raymond passed away on 19 April 1999. In terms of his Last Will and Testament dated 4 June 1990, the property known as Erf 24, Brooklyn, was to be inherited by his son Etienne Raymond. However Etienne Raymond had pre-deceased his father in May 1994. Entitlement to the inheritance of the property came to rest with Etienne Raymond’s legal descendants (in terms of the Last Will and Testament of Major-General Raymond), i.e. Etienne Eugene Raymond, Shane Moolman (born Raymond), Eugenie Raymond, and Danielle Raymond. As the latter two descendants had not yet reached the age of 21 years at the time of the death of their father, their share of the inheritance was held in trust by Volkskas Ltd., in its capacity as nominated trustee. One half of the share in and to the property was accordingly transferred in favour of the two eldest grandchildren of the late Major-General Raymond, i.e. Etienne Eugene Raymond, and Shane Moolman (born Raymond) in 2004.16 A substantial, insensitively designed entertainment area was added at an unknown date to the north of the 1970 living room. Designed with a set of three double pitched roofs with intervening box gutters, this structure tended to detract from the original scale and setting of the house. The outbuilding was also further extended with an informally constructed lean-to addition to create a large garage. Reference: Bruwer, J and Martinson, W. Heritage Impact Assessment – Erven R/23, 24, 1/25, R/25, 1/27, and R/27, Brooklyn, Pretoria, March 2018. Footnotes: ________________ 1 Deed of Transfer No. T.4747 dated 16 June 1903. |