HAGER, Johan Carel Maximillian

Architect

Son of CO HAGER, JCM was an architect and a builder. He commenced his career in the Cape; references exist for his having built two churches for Dutch Reformed Church congregations in Kruisvallei in 1872 (Fagan 1975:62). Hager left the Cape for the Transvaal at the beginning of the building boom after the discovery of gold. In May 1886 he bought three erven in Middelburg, Transvaal and at about this time the Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk - Witkerk, Middelburg was built. The accomplished design of this building executed in neo-gothic style has led to the supposition that an architect (JCM Hager, then resident in Middelburg) designed the building. No other buildings of similar calibre have been attributed to JCM Hager, however, and the theory that the architect may in fact have been Hager's father, CO HAGER, has been put forward. This theory supports persistent contemporary statements that CO Hager was indeed the architect and there are similarities to CO Hager's style. No documentary evidence has yet been found to indicate which of the two Hagers, or both, or neither, was responsible for the building. By 1890 JCM was established in the Transvaal, employed by the Zuid Afrikaanse Republiek. He was appointed deputy architect for the execution of the Government Buildings in Boksburg in April 1891 which he brought to completion.
(Oberholster 1972:292)

He married Sara Elizabeth Anna Van Ellewee (1846–1893) on 1864 05 04 in Clanwilliam, Cape Colony, by whom he had eight children, Johanna Petronella Maria (1867-1929), Carel Otto (1869-?), Johann Carl (1873-1956), Sara Elizabeth (1875-?), Pieter Ebenhaezer (1857-1952), Joseph Emile Henry (1882-1952), Carel Louis (1885-?) and Elweena (1887-?) (Family Search).

(Fagan 1975; Kesting 1978; Oberholster 1972; Restorica 1983:28-31; SALQB Sep 1982; TAD)

All truncated references not fully cited in 'References' are those of Joanna Walker's original text and cited in full in the 'Bibliography' entry of the Lexicon.

List of projects

With photographs
With notes

House W Morkel, erfs 1964-6: 1893. Johannesburg, Gauteng - Architect

References

Bakker, Karel A, Clarke, Nicholas J. 2014. Eclectic ZA Wilhelmiens : A shared Dutch built heritage in South Africa. Pretoria: Visual Books. pp 76

Fagan, Gawie & Fagan, Gwen. 1975. Church Street in the Land of Waveren. Cape Town: Tulbagh Restoration Committee. pp 62

Oberholster, JJ. 1972. The Historical Monuments of South Africa. Cape Town: Rembrandt Van Rijn Foundation for Culture at the request of the National Monuments Council. pp 292

Picton-Seymour, Désirée. 1989. Historical Buildings in South Africa. Cape Town: Struikhof Publishers. pp 148