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This
was a typical rural shop before chain stores made their
appearance. The name relates to Samie Volsteedt, a
bachelor and previous owner of the shop, who lived in
the house next door.
The H-plan house was erected
ca. 1781, with a unique roof balustrade, (more typical
of a double-storey flat roofed house) probably imitating
a similar feature of the drostdy of 1768. Note the
outbuildings on both sides and the picturesque wall
around the farmyard.
KRIGE’S
COTTAGES (ca. 1900)
51-37 Dorp Street
These
corrugated iron roofed semi-detached houses with gables
and wrought iron verandas were erected by Willie Krige
who farmed on Vredenlust.
ACKERMAN
HOUSE (1815)
50/48 Dorp Street
This
house was radically altered when it had a corrugated
roof added, shortly before Jan Christiaan Smuts (later
General and Prime Minister of South Africa) was a
boarder here while studying at the university. Here too
he met his future wife, Issie Krige, whose parents lived
diagonally across the street in Libertas Parva. During
the restoration of 1971 the projecting shop front (as
depicted on an old photograph) was reconstructed.
ROOKSKIP
c/o Dorp and Papegaai Street
Originally
an outbuilding on the farm De Hoop, the homestead of
which was demolished, the nickname ("smoke
stacks") refers to the many chimneys, reminiscent
of those of a steam ship, that were added when the
building was converted into a row of cottages.
This H-plan farm homestead
dates from ca. 1783, judging by its lovely rolling end
gables. The present front gable dates from the late
Georgian period, when the twin front doors and large
pane windows were added. The name refers to the property
that was formerly part of the farm Libertas. It
presently serves as an important art gallery displaying
inter alia a unique and beautiful panorama of Cape Town,
in 1808.
