Restoring a house in Harrismith

Restoring a house in Harrismith

On a drive through Harrismith, we fell in love with a ruin standing on a large piece of land.

You have to love old buildings and believe in the quote of Arthur Erickson 

“Great buildings that move the spirit have always been rare. In every case they are unique, poetic and products of the heart."

Yes we bought the old lady, with a beautiful view toward Platberg, in October 2000 and moved to our new home 3 months later. You can read more about this here

The biggest question was where do we start.

During the time before moving we visited Trevor Evans, a wonderful architect specializing in old South African buildings.

We left with building plans and lots of information.

Now to give a little detail – we bought a dream to renovate while we do some soul finding.

Our house was built with sun-baked clay, compressed into brick forms and stone.

The foundations are packed sandstone blocks

There is no cement between the layers of mud bricks

The wood work were layered with up to 7 layers of paint, but that is what protected it though the years

Mr Venter, one of the previous owner's, son-in-law standing at the front door.
Hennie using a hot flame to remove paint from the front door 

The ceilings are high and rest on yellowwood beams 

What we learned was that these special house needs to breathe and flex like living things. 

The dry environment, the heat, the cold, extreme as it is, has shaped it, made it strong and preserved it.

When we look back, the cleaning process was the biggest challenge. 

After we had cleaned for 2 months we could start the renovation process. 

We followed the route of don’t over-restore. Keep it simple. 

Our biggest expense was time. 

Frances Mayes words reminded us of where we are: “Where you are is who you are. The further inside you moves, the more your identity is intertwined with it. Never casual, the choice of place is the choice of something you crave.” 

Whitewash was part of the process and we tried and tested many recipes and being an old house we did not want the perfect finish. We opt for Yellows and burnt Sienna for color. 

We did not remove any old mouldings and had some copied to match the originals. 

We had only used, salvaged building materials. 

We learned the hard way that polyfilla is a no-no for a mud built house. This two does not gel. We decided to renovate one room at a time. Life offers you a thousand changes … all you have to do is take one. 

Walls protect the dreamers and unthinkably good things can happen. 

Till next time 

Sandra 

Sandstone through the lens in the Eastern Free State

DeOudeHuize

Harrismith and surroundings 

Even the land itself was recycled.
This is the site of an old farm house

I grew up in a small town but through pictures and books I know the world

Entrance to the Military Cemetery 

The outbuilding on a farm yard 

Only memories remain

An outside cooler with the water tank at the top 

The gate post tells the the story of an abandoned entrance to a farm 

Fence post

An Outbuilding on a farm 

An unfinished farm manor house with a never ending view 

Sandstone and Wheelbarrow 

An early bridge to cross a river 

The foundation stone in a building 

A small bridge built with sandstone

The ruins on a farm 

What makes most people comfortable is some sort of sense of nostalgia.
I grew up in a small town, and I could count my friends on one hand, and I still live that way.
I think I'll die in a small town.
When I can't move my bones around a stage any more,
you'll find me living in a place that's spread out and rural and spacious
De Oude Huize Yard

A Hawkins dam wall was built using sandstone 

There are all kinds of futures.
There is a hoped-for future,
there is a feared future,
there is a predictable future,
and there is an unimagined future.

When we trust in the natural goodness around us,
we open ourselves for the blessings of life to flow toward us

Vision stands on the shoulders of what is actual
to get a better view of what is possible

The tragedy of  abandonment

Wonderful craftmanship 

A dam built using sandstone 

Thank you to everyone that supplied photo's 

Thanks for joining us on a short walk and hopeful you enjoy the sandstone as we do. visit to this building and the interesting history hiding between die walls. 
Sending lots of love from South Africa 

Sandra 

Treasures in an old country hotel that is rapidly becoming a thing of the past.

DeOudeHuize

Our town, Harrismith, is filled with history and interesting stories.
This story as told by the hosts of De Oude Huize Yard 
Part 2
Please read Part 1 here

Today we would like take you on a nostalgic trip and pay a visit the the almost part of history
that is almost something of the past.

Mr Annandale had a love for antiques and the beautiful old sideboards was part of his collection.

The first sideboard was originally made in Germany and was brought to South Africa by the Von During Family in the latter part of the 19^th century.

Lots of blessing from South Africa 

Sandra 

An Old Country Hotel filled with history and interesting stories

DeOudeHuize

Our town, Harrismith, is filled with history and interesting stories.

Part 1
As told by the hosts of De Oude Huize Yard 

The old photo's of the hotels from a bygone era always fascinated me.  In short in the late 1800’s Harrismith boost 11 hotels.  These hotels were: 

The  Spillsburg, Jones, Dodds, Donaldson, Chancey, Imperial Royal (previously the Railway), Devonshire  Central and the Caskie later the Commercial and currently the Grand National but in a new building,

  

The beautiful old National Hotel
In March of 1880, a mysterious robbery took place in The Caskie Hotel. 
A certain gentleman by the name of R.J. Barns of the firm, Barns and Mcfie, 
dealers in livestock, spent a night at the hotel on his way to Bethlehem. 
On arrival he placed a chest containing 5000 pounds in gold in the bedroom. 
The following morning the money had disappeared! 
A reward of 300 pounds and later 1000 pounds was posted but no 
information was ever forthcoming. Barns summoned Caskie to Court and 
demanded “damages” be paid. He lost his case. The thief was never found and the money was never recovered.
Harrismith’s news correspondent at the time, reported in the Natal Witness that, 
“This being a border town, we get more than our share of deserters, runaways and loafers.” 
The outcome of all of this was a petition to the “Volksraad” and a request for more policemen.

The Grand National is the last hotel that survived.

Originally built with 8 rooms upstairs  with only a basin in each room.

 Downstairs one would find the dining room, kitchen,

pub and reception area and the manager’s office.

In 1896 ZA Breweries took over ownership and the name was changed to the Commercial Hotel. 

The name would change again in the 1920’s to The National Hotel 

and again in the 1940’s to The Grand National Hotel. In 1961 the hotel was bought by John and Phyl Annandale.

A fire destroyed a section of the old hotel and it had to be rebuilt.  

It was then when modernization also had a huge effect on the old / new hotel.  

The "Grand" as it now looks 

"Big John" Annandale in the Assegaai pub and the photo was taken in 1962. 
The beautiful bar counter polished to a special shine. The pub was then known as the ladies bar. 
The Grand was bought by John and Phyl Annandale in 1961 bring about the first change of ownership 
since the hotel has been bought by the ZA Breweries in 1896. 
The hotel was built by mr Caskie in 1876 and the name was changed to the 
Commercial Hotel in 1896. 
Again the name was changed to the National Hotel in the 1920’s and in the 1940’s it was
changed to the Grand National Hotel. 

Mr. Annandale had hit a novel idea to raise money for charity. 
The walls of the bar are lined with tiles which were “sold” to customers whose name 
painted on the tiles by an artist. 
Every one that made a donation of R1 or more names was painted in gold on the face of one 
of the tiles which made an eye-catching recorded of a generous act. 
The funds were donated to the retirement home for those old people of Harrismith 
who need and perhaps, will need help, to live out their lives without too much suffering
and with all the comfort.
The cheque that was handed over was for the amount of R1010. 

The old room key and message holder

As history proved the Grand belonged to the ZA Breweries and beer was the main ingredient 
to fill lives with joy. According to legend the wagon with the beer barrels would park
in Warden Street and then the barrels were rolled into cellar situated underneath the 
pub via a shoot. 
This is the trap door through which the beer barrels were then hoisted into the pub. 
Was this be the old beer wagon 

The section marked was the old wagon and cart parking area.
In modern days this area was converted into a pub

Close-up of some of the trophies 

Trophies eared during dart competitions

The old wooden ice boxes 

Lots of blessing from South Africa 

Sandra 

Thanks to Biebie de Vos for his help with photo's and information