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House De Witt: Montana Vista Wynberg, Western Cape Anthony (Antonie) Mauritz DE WITT: Architect

Date: c1898 Type: Homestead Style: Eclecticism Status: Demolished Street: Aliwal Rd

... a riotous extravaganza ... In Swiss chalet manner, there was tier upon tier of balconies, some cast iron, some wood, scarcely two windows were alike, and atop all this a steep pitched roof was decorated with every possible device for diversion of the eye. ... the entrance through huge gates on a corner, ... the house with its grandiose front steps, ... one balcony was romantically hung with wistaria. In its old age a lovely green, but in its prime it could have done little to hide the hideousness of the house. (Picton-Seymour, 1977:115) When EA COOKE retired in 1936 he is is recorded as living at Montana Vista. Demolished in the 1970s. (Men Cape 1906:434; Radford 1979:315) All truncated references not fully cited below are those of Joanna Walker's original text and cited in full in the 'Bibliography' entry of the Lexicon. Books that reference House De Witt: Montana Vista Picton-Seymour, Désirée. 1977. Victorian Buildings in South Africa. Cape Town: AA Balkema. pg 115 Transvaal Publishing Co. 1906. Men of the Times : Old Colonists of the Cape Colony and Orange River Colony. Johannesburg, Cape Town and London: The Transvaal Publishing Co. pg 434