Arguably one of the most beautiful heritage buildings in Potchefstroom is the Landdrost-, Post- en Telegraafkantoor (Magistrate, Post and Telegraph Office) in Greyling (OR Tambo) Street next to the Church Square. Although nowadays defaced by unsightly security fencing, the building still sports its beautiful mansard roof and decorative gables.
This bucolic photo of the Landdrost-, Post- en Telegraafkantoor was taken before 1910 when the building to the left was demolished and a new post office was built. To the right is the house that was used as the Central School. The current Police building on the site was built in 1936. In her memoirs of growing up in Potchefstroom at the beginning of the 20th century, Mrs Daphne Hurndall mentioned the row of beefwood trees on the side of the church square. The trees were later cut down, something that she said she did not know why. Photo: Potchefstroom Museum
Magistrates’ offices of old
This was not the first magistrate’s office serving Potchefstroom. The first was on the old market square. The old market was situated between of Retief and Church (Walter Sisulu) Streets and Maury Lane.
Shortly after the town was laid out in 1841 and the residents moved here from Oudedorp, it was found that the designated church and market square were well beyond the occupied part of the town and another market square had to be found.
Two erven were bought from their first owners for this purpose and on this site, the first magistrate’s office was built fronting on Church Street. It stood where the garden of the office block is that now occupies the corner of Retief and Church Streets. This first magistrate’s office was described as a “misshapen little building” (een mismaakt geboutje) that needed to be repaired often.
The second magistrate’s office was built on the “new” or original market square when market activities moved there around 1854. It stood on the northern side of the market square diagonally across from where the King’s Hotel was later built, fronting on Potgieter (Nelson Mandela) Street. This was demolished in the 1870s.
A third magistrate’s office was built in 1861. Not much is known of this building. Some sources hint that the former residence of President MW Pretorius, noted below, was the third magistrate’s office.
At the time magistrate JC Steyn had a signboard installed which said that it was forbidden to enter the office with a stick or walking stick, unless it is necessary to assist with some physical inability. The fine of five riksdaalders (rix-dollars) for this was doubled at a second offence. The signboard also said that it was forbidden to clean a pipe for fear of starting a grass fire!
The next magistrate’s office was the former residence of President MW Pretorius, which was in Greyling Street (OR Tambo) where the old post office now stands north of the current post office that was built in 1966. (See my article: https://lenniegouws.co.za/how-potchefstroom-became-connected/ ) The building now houses the offices of Detective Services of the South African Police Services (SAPS).
At the time of the First Anglo-Boer War (1880-81) this magistrate’s office was one of the hot spots during the Siege of the Potchefstroom Fort and suffered much damage. (See my article: https://lenniegouws.co.za/siege-of-the-potchefstroom-fort-a-story-of-sorrow-from-long-ago/ )
The land on which the Landdrost-, Post- en Telegraafkantoor, the building discussed in this article, was built, initially belonged to Andries Hendrik Potgieter, the founder of Potchefstroom. FG Wolmarans, after whom Wolmarans Street was named, bought it from his estate in 1854. (See: https://lenniegouws.co.za/street-names-reflect-history-15-w-z/ ) By 1879 it was owned by J Butner who operated a canteen (pub) on a part of the premises. By 1880, during the First Anglo-Boer War, the property was owned by attorney G Buskes or Buskus (See: https://lenniegouws.co.za/street-names-reflect-history-2/ )
The invention of the telegraph, a process by which electric signals can be sent by an electric wire, is accredited to Samuel Morse. He sent the first ever telegraph on 24 May 1844 from Washington DC to Baltimore. He also invented Morse code, by which these messages could be encoded and decoded.
Potchefstroom was connected to a pre-existing telegraph line in 1888. It was installed by the British Government. Before the installation of a telephone system, this was the fastest way of long-distance communication.
Built during the heydays of the ZAR
The Landdrost-, Post- en Telegraafkantoor was described by Arie Kuijers as one of the few government buildings that was built during the heydays of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek. As was the case with many other government buildings of the time, it was designed by the Dutch architect Sytske Wopkes Wierda. He also designed the old “Raadsaal” on Church Square in Pretoria, as well as the Palace of Justice, also on the Church Square.
Sytske Wopkes Wierda (1839-1911) was a Dutch architect who served as Government Engineer and Architect for the ZAR from 1887. He previously worked at Netherlands Railways from 1866 and collaborated on the design of the Amsterdam railway station. He designed most of the major public buildings of the ZAR government. After the Anglo-Boer War (1900-1902), in 1903, he was a partner in the firm Wierda & Obermeyer in Johannesburg. A few years later he moved to Cape Town where he passed away in Sea point in 1911. Photo: artefacts.co.za
The Potchefstroom building, however, was of a less grand scale than the Pretoria buildings. It was designed in the simplified Second French Empire Style.
Kuijers, however, is of the opinion that the façade is impressive. It has a symmetrical appearance with portico/veranda with double columns, flanked by the wings of the building. The convex mansard style roof over the 10 m high public area has high roof windows with decorative glass and a chequered style Dutch tile floor. From this space the public could do business through yellow copper bars at either the post office, the telegraph office or the magistrate’s office.
An original door with stained glass panes and the original Dutch tile floor in the Landdrost-, Post- en Telegraafkantoor.
The architectural drawings of the Landdrost-, Post- en Telegraafkantoor shows the layout and front view of the building. The original plans are kept in the ZAR DPW (1887-1900) Drawing Collection at the University of Pretoria.
The resident architect was Hermanus Luitingh (See my article: https://lenniegouws.co.za/street-names-reflect-history-7-k-l/ ) and the contractor was William Hudson of Ventersburg. He received the commission on 12 February 1895 with his tender price of £8500. Legend has it that the building work was funded by the fines that were imposed after the Jameson Raid (1895-1896). The corner stone was laid by magistrate Dirk Tom. (See my article: https://lenniegouws.co.za/street-names-reflect-history-16-the-lost-street-names-of-potchefstroom/ ) on 6 April 1895. Building work was completed by May 1896 and the building was officially opened by President Paul Kruger.
The corner stone was laid by magistrate Dirk Tom on 6 July 1895. The stone indicate that H Luittingh was the resident architect and the contractor was W Hudson.
President Paul Kruger giving a speech in front of the Landdrost-, Post- en Telegraafkantoor in 1897.
General Christian de Wet on his horse in front of a crowd who came to listen to a speech he gave. This photo was taken during the Anglo-Boer War.
Patriotic children in front of the Landdrost-, Post- and Telegraafkantoor displaying the Vierkleur, the flag of the ZAR and accompanied by a dog. It is not known when this photo was taken.
The post office moved out when the designated post office (see above) was officially opened to the south of this building on 10 March 1910. Eventually the Landdrost-, Post- en Telegraafkantoor was exclusively used by the Potchefstroom magistrate’s office.
The new post office building that opened in 1910 stands to the south of the Landdrost-, Post- en Telegraafkantoor. Photo: Gawie van der Walt postcard collection
By the middle of the 20th century the building was too small to house the offices and courts of the magistrate’s office. Temporary structures were erected behind the Landdrost-, Post- en Telegraafkantoor to house the overflow.
Scene of most gruesome event
The explosion of a bomb at the Potchefstroom magistrate’s office on Friday 17 May 1974 is regarded by many as one of the most gruesome events in the history of the city.
See my article: https://lenniegouws.co.za/potchefstroom-se-grootste-rampe/
Three people lost their lives and 38 were severely injured when a bomb exploded in one of the temporary courts at 11:00 that Friday.
Mr Henk Kloppers, a well-known Potchefstroom attorney, and Alec Victor, who set off the bomb were instantly killed. A local estate agent, Mr Gerrit Schoonhoven, passed away three weeks later from injuries he sustained during the explosion.
One of the dramatic pictures taken by Richard Ingram, is this one of the shredded attorney’s gown of Mr Henk Kloppers who died in the explosion. It appeared in the special edition of the Potchefstroom Herald on 17 May 1974.
Alec Victor, from Blyvooruitzicht, was in court that day after receiving summons due to a speeding offence. Magistrate JH Steyn found him guilty and he was charged to pay a R50 fine or spend 25 days in goal. R50 in 1974 would be worth between R4 000 and R10 100 today!
Directly after Victor was sentenced a package that he held under his arm, fell to the ground and somebody saw smoke coming from it. Then came the explosion.
Magistrate Steyn remembered that he was thrown meters far. He lost the tip of his righthand forefinger in the explosion.
The explosion presented a large feat for the Potchefstroom Herald. The editor, Mr Richard Ingram, was on his way to the offices from the station when he heard the explosion. He immediately went there and was able to enter the premises before the fire brigade arrived and the police threw a cordon around the site. Ingram took very dramatic pictures.
That week’s edition of the Herald was already on the street, but it was decided to lay out a four-page sheet to be wrapped around the rest of the newspaper. This came off the press at 16:26 and within three-quarters of an hour the complete extra edition of 3 000 was sold out!
Thorough restoration brings old grandeur to light
At the time the magistrate’s court moved out to their new building in Van Riebeeck Street (Peter Mokaba) which was officially opened 17 October 1986, a process was started to have the Landdrost-, Post- en Telegraafkantoor declared a National Monument. It underwent a thorough restoration undertaken on instruction of the Department of Public Works in 1988. An extensive professional team was assembled to examine all aspects of the building. A copy of the builder’s estimate from 1896 was found which provided useful information for the restoration team.
The building was then repurposed as a club for the South African Police. A new garden was landscaped behind the building to be in the same period style as the time the building was erected. (This was where the temporary court rooms stood of which one was blown up in 1974.)
The landscaping of a garden, in the same style as the building, took place during the 1988 restoration. Photo: Hans Gouws
The back veranda of the Landdrost-, Post- en Telegraafkantoor with the garden create an oasis of peace in the otherwise bustling Police precinct.
Currently it is utilized as a conference space and computer training facility, amongst others, by the SAPS. Since the 1988 restoration the building has suffered some expected damage due to its age. Plans for renovations and reparations are envisioned.
The Landdrost-, Post- en Telegraafkantoor as it looks now. Unfortunately, it was, due to security reasons, necessary to install a palisade fence in front of the building. The building is in need of renovation, although the architectural features that make it one of the most beautiful buildings in Potchefstroom, are still in place.
Gracing the western façade of the Church Square, the Landdrost-, Post- en Telegraafkantoor is one of the most beautiful heritage buildings of Potchefstroom.
