Renovating De Oude Huize from 2000

The front door had six layers of paint that needs to be removed. 

My husband, Hennie, used every known way to strip the paint.  

Eventually it was heated with a blow torch and then scraped of.  

This restoring process took months.  Eventually all the doors, window frames and all wood was now exposed.  Beautiful Oregon pine and Yellow wood now graces our house.   

You can now follow the renovation process and the improvements that happened at De Oude Huize

Handpainted wallpaper found behind an old ceiling 

Old window that was found during renovations.

The bath before re-enamaling

History of De Oude Huize

After we have cleaned the ”drumpels “ we started to wonder who has stepped over them.  We packed a picnic basket and visited the Archives in Bloemfontein. 

The following information was gathered. 
We have learned the names and people for whom our doorbell has rang in the past. 

In 1849 is ons erf uitgemeet deur Robb Moffat.  Die beskrywing lees soos volg:

Bovenstaande kaart vertoon een of eener stuk grond groot 281 en kwart Quadraat Roeden.  Getekn in Stuart Straat dorp Harrismith, ofsynde erf no 77.  Grensend oost aan Stuartstraat, suid van Erf no 78 en west van Erf no 99.

· Erfen 77, Harrismith verkockt voor den Landdrost van Harrismith, onder Goverments kart, op den 27 Mei 1859 en geregistrend te Bloemfontein op den 8ste Juny 1859 ten formasie van James Edwards.  Getekn:  William Collins RWA.

· Acte van Transport no 3413 van 1861 lees soos volg. Uit kracht eener volmagt.  Sy het aan allen kennelyk, dat Meynard Cornelis Johannes Herenga Moll gecompaneerd is voor my, Daniel J Cloete Landrost van Harrismith Oranjevrystaat, behoorlyk daartoe ge qualificeerd syndedoor ene volmagt, aan hem door James Edwards verleen, gedateekend den 23 ste July 1861 en te Allisonswish opgesteld in teenwoordigheid en onder bekractiging van twee bevoegde getuigen; en  cedeerd en transporteerd in vollenen vryen eigendom aan Joseph de Kock (Klerk).Het geheele erf 77 gelegen en gresende aan Stuart straten in het dorp Harrismith, synde het geheele erf 77 in dimensie 15 x 18¼ Rhynlands Roeden en in Uitgestrekthied 281¼ vierkante Roeden.  Die verkopping waarop deze Transport is gegrond lieft plaatsgevonde op die 23July 1861 blykens declaration van koop en verkoop. Koopprys £30,00 Hereregte 12S Zegelret 2S Kantoorpenningen 10.6$ Registratie 2.6S Zegel op procurasie 9S. Mnr DeKock koop dan ook erfen 78 Harrismith onder Akte nr 5148 in 1863 van die Government van die Oranjevrystaat colonie. 

· Deed of Transfer no 3336 of 1903 reads that J de Kock  has on the 23rd day of April 1903 truly and legally sold and transfer in full and free property to  Gerhad de Haas (Blacksmith) for the amount ing sum of Thriteen Hundred and fifty pounds sterling. 

 

· Mnr De Haas verdeel die grond in 4-gelykte-dele vir sy nageslag.  Die Landmeter is Georg Schlapp. Die restant word verkoop aan George Vergottini Bornman op 2nd October 1909 onder acte nr 27679.  George word beskryf as “Attorney-at-Law Harrismith.  Die Aktebesorger in Bloemfontein was Rocco de Villiers.  Bornman betaal 380 Pounds Sterling.  Registrasie is gedoen deur Henry B Austin.  In 1920 sterf mnr De Haas en sy kinders erf die eiendom.  Die gesamentlike eienaars verkoop die eiendom in 1923 aan Leendert Benardus De Villiers (Skoonseun van mnr De Haas).

· Daarna in 1932 verkoop De Villiers die eiendom aan Sameul Herbert Sharratt.  Sameul was op 31 Augustus 1892 gebore en was ‘n boer van Lincoln in die Harrismith distrik .  

· Dan lees die volgende dokument soos volg: Deed of Transfer no 3278 of 1936.  Know all Men whom it may concern: That Louis Shtein Conveyance at Bloemfontein,  being duly authorized thereto granted to him by Samuel Herbert Sharratt dated  the 12th  day of November 1936, in the year of Our Lord One  Thousand Nine  Hundred and Thirty Six.  He has truly and lawfully sold and transfer in full and free property to Frederick Adriaan Truscott, born 1 July 1882, Taxi Driver, of Harrismith and finally acknowledging the purchase price of the said property to be the sum of Two Hundred and Fifty Pounds.

· In 1942 vind die emansiepasie van vroue plaas en oom At dra die eiendom oor na Susanna Margaretha Truscott.  Die Akte nommer was 3436.  Susanna is op 23 Februarie 1886 gebore.  Ons het die voorreg gehad om Nancy Venter (nee Truscott) te ontmoet.  Nancy is die dogter van Oom At en Tant San. 

Mr Venter infront of De Oude Huize.  He was the son-inlaw of Mr & Mrs Truscott. 

· Akte 1909 van 1951 tree in werking wanneer Susanna Truscott die eiendom verkoop aan 'n heelwat jonger, mnr Ralph Morton wat op 2 Desember 1914 gebore is.  

· In 1957 onder Akte nr 2177 verkoop Mnr Morton aan George Henry Goodes wat op 31 Augustus 1923 gebore is.

· Op 9 Oktober 1972 verkoop Mnr Goodes aan Adam Johannes Emminnis.  Oom Apie is op 3 April 1916 gebore.  Die transport is  geregistreer onder Akte nr 6731. 

· Oom Apie konsolideer die twee eiendomme op 2 Desember 1976.  Die nuwe erf nommer is 1522 Harrismith en die oppervlakte is nou 2770m2. 

· Na Oom Apie se afsterwe verkoop die boedel die eiendom op 12 Oktober 1989 aan die Trustee van The Ian Dyer Family Trust.  Die Akte nommer is 10150.

· Op 24 Oktober 2000 word ons die eienaars van De Oude Huize.  Ons verhuis na Harrismith op 15 Desember 2000 en begin met ons nuwe lewens op Harrismith

Met hierdie navorsing het ons  bewus geword van die wel en weë  van vele wat oor ons drumpel geloop het.  

The "De Oude Huize" journey to stardom

After purchasing De Oude Huize Yard our family moved to Harrismith on 15 December 2000. Our sons did a huge commitment to leave their schools, sport and friends behind and join this new venture into the Free State.  Remembering the night that we traveled to Harrismith and the uncontrolled veldt-fires were lighting the skies Pedri made a comment —so beautiful but so destructive.  Our new lives away from the hustle and bustle of Pretoria and “retirement” in the town will have to make a difference.  

Everything’s done on impulse.  

We bought the old house to save it from the bulldozer and in the words of Adam Small: 

proud ou gabou—pathetic pêllie
stil ou—djy fancy djy staan nog...
djy word gedemolish sê ek vir djou!...
Hoor djy die pêrepote vannie bulldozers?

Ever since we have spend all our time in renovating and collecting history about our house and the town.  Even thought everything that we , Pedri and Gerald-Cecil have done did not come easily we still see this as a blessing and we would like to believe that we have made a difference to De Oude Huize Yard and our neighbourhood.  

Our neighbours are the best.  On our day of arrival they welcomed us with tea, coffee, rusk and a lot of help.  Strange people opened their hearts and hands to help us to move into a very dialectic house.  They treat us with love and open their heart to all off us. 

On opening the front door of our new dwelling we immediately decided to give it a name—De Oude Huize .  The state of neglect was cleary visible and we decided to keep to the original era of the house and try to safe a little history in Stuart Street.  We had little experience of such a big renovating process and as the kids at school asked Gerald-Cecil—does your parents know what they are doing—he could honestly answer I don’t know, I think they don’t know themselves. 

We have read articles on renovating but nothing really helps until you start with the process.  We have asked stupid questions and really work our fingers to the bone.  The renovation process of the original house was solely done by Hennie, Pedri and Gerald-Cecil.  They have sanded floors, scraped down old paint remove rotten novilon, wood and carpets. They have cleaned the yard from invasive kakibos.  They have leveled the garden and made new beds.     They have opened up the Attic , painted every room and  replaced old floorboards.