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Goede Rust Dal Josaphat, Western Cape

Date: n.d. Type: Farmhouse Style: Cape Dutch Status: Extant

The first of a priceless row of three closely adjoining historical farm complexes (Non Pareille and Roggeland. The grantee of this farm, like many others in Daljosaphat, was a Huguenot: Jacques Vivier. He had been settled there since 1690, four years prior to the grant. The land was 50 morgen in extent. Two of Jacques's brothers, Pierre and Abraham, had farms nearby — Schoongezicht and Non-Pareil. When Jacques died, he left Goede Rust by will to Abraham. In 1794 the farm was acquired by Georg Stephanus Hauptfleisch; the price he paid indicates the presence of a good house there. In 1814 it went to Pieter Malan Daniel/sn, the price having more than doubled over twenty years, perhaps because of extensions to the homestead; in 1832 the remainder was acquired by Jan Gysbert Hugo. It remained in the Hugo family until 1948. The homestead of Goede Rust is one of the many houses in this area that were totally altered about the end of the 19th century. Often these alterations, thanks to traditional caution in spending, were only 'skin-deep'; interiors were frequently unchanged, and back facades sometimes left as they were. This T-shaped homestead, with an extra wing at the back, like many others, lost its gables, its eaves level was raised, and a cast-iron veranda, with central pediment, was added. Some original casements can still be seen at the back, and there is a large outside chimney and bakoond at the end of the tail. Of the three farm complexes, that of Goede Rust is the only one that has not been restored, but it is nevertheless of interest, if only to show the fate that befell so many homesteads in the Paarl district. There are outbuildings flanking the homestead, a cellar (in line with it) and a wagon-house-cum-dwelling, set back, that retain reed ceilings, and one still has its thatch. [Fransen Hans, 2004. A guide to the old buildings of the Cape. Johannesburg & Cape Town: Jonathan Ball Publishers. p, 295.] All truncated references not fully cited below are those of Joanna Walker's original text and cited in full in the 'Bibliography' entry of the Lexicon.