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Elsenburg
Klapmuts district, Western Cape
Rangton van BALI: Artisan 1700s
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Click to view map Coordinates: | Sometimes also spelt Elsenberg. Near Klapmuts is the farm of Elsenburg, named after Samuel Elsevier, second-in-command to Governor Simon van der Stel (Wikipedia). However, Secunde Elsevier was one of the officials banished to the Netherlands along with Willem Adriaan van der Stel (Wikipedia). During the 10 years Elsevier had spent at Elsenburg, he built a simple house, where his son continued to live until his death in 1709. It was Martin Melck (Wikitree) who, during the latter half of the 18th century, developed Elsenburg into one of the Cape's finest farms. In 1761 he enlarged the homestead to a U-plan, giving it impressive gables and a fine front entrance. The original door might very well have been the work of a slave called Rangton van BALI. This front door was removed by Sir Herbert BAKER when, as RHODES' architect, he wished the beautiful entrance to adorn Groote Schuur. Unfortunately it was badly damaged when Groote Schuur burnt down and was then replaced by a copy although its brassware was faithfully replicated. In 1898 Elsenburg was acquired by the Victoria College (now the University of Stellenbosch) as an agricultural college. Then in 1915 the homestead was gutted by fire and unfortunately when it was rebuilt and reroofed with red tiles, much of the fabric and character of the once beautiful house was lost. An outstanding and still remaining feature of the interior is the chimney panel, inlaid with ivory and ebony depicting the Prussian eagle, emblem of Melck's native land which adorned the chimney of the fireplace in the agterkamer. This was rescued during the fire that razed the thatched roof of the manor house in 1915. The roof was replaced during restoration by Cleland of Public Works by a red tile roof. The inlaid panel was then relocated in the chimney breast of the voorkamer, when the porte visite located between the gallery and the voorkamer was removed. The outbuildings of Elsenburg together with the tall bell tower, also date back to the time of Martin Melck, and perhaps most interesting of all, is the millstream, channelled between thick, wavy walls interspersed with piers of unusual design. (Picton-Seymour, 1989: 68) For further information on the measured drawings see Pearse Collection. Books that reference Elsenburg
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