Contact Artefacts please if you have any comments or more information regarding this record.	Menu Home Upfront Now Up Books Towns Structures People Firms Lexicon		Moravian Mission Church - Second Genadendal, Western Cape AG HETTASCH: Designer ? P'YURA: Architect

Date: c1890 Type: Church Status: Extant   Click to view map Coordinates: 34°02'02.63" S 19°33'27.73" E

It seems the church was designed by A.G. Hettasch, the missionary and overseer at Genadendal. Info from the magazine states the following: Periodical Accounts 1890, p. 166, quoted from a visitor's letter: ''We were welcomed by Mr. and Mrs. Hettasch, the 'House Father' and 'House Mother' of the village.....The [Genadendal] church was finished in 1800. It is now too small and in a rather dangerous condition, so new foundations are laid round it, and a church which Mr. Hettasch has himself planned is now being made in the carpenters' shop, and will probably be completed in 1893'' Periodical Accounts 1893, p. 53: ''On the southern border of the open platz is rising the new church, Br. Hettasch's masterpiece, neat and unornate, but tasteful in every respect. Yes, when one bears in mind, that this brother had only one white stone-mason, but otherwise had to depend upon the help of natives, one's appreciation of his skill and diligence, and admiration of his almost completed work, are greatly enhanced'' Periodical Accounts 1893, p. 88: ''Wednesday, March 15, 1893 was a red letter day at Genadendal. It was the opening of the large Jubilee Church ... Who can deny that one of the answers to these simple, fervent prayers is the fact that no serious accident has occurred either in the pulling down of the old church, which was commenced on August 20, 1891, or during the erection of the new one, whose foundation stone was laid on October 12th of that year. This is the more remarkable, as skilled supervision or labor was not so easily obtained at so remote a spot. But God sent timely help just when it was required. A German mason came to Genadendal soon after the commencement; and when the dangerous work at the tower was in hand, a German ship's carpenter arrived and proved invaluable. The greatest credit is due our Br. Hettasch, the practical missionary, who has been architect, overseer of the works, etc. Under him two Genadendal men superintended the carpentering work'' A book by J de Boer and EM Temmers, 'The Unitas Fratrum: 250 years of Missionary and Pastoral Service in South Africa (Western Region)', p. 26, also credits Hettasch with the church's design. I would guess that your [ME Lange] ancestor [P'Yura' was either the stone mason or the ship's carpenter that showed up there. (Entry created from information from FISHER 1984. Entry notes expanded from email correspondence [copy undated] between ME Lange and Lanie Graf, Assistant Archivist, Moravian Archives, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States). 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 Moravian Mission Church - Second Balie, Isaac. 1988. Die Geskiedenis van Genadendal, 1738-1988. Kaapstad: Perskor. pg All De Boer, J and Temmers, EM. 1987. The Unitas Fratrum : two hundred and fifty years of missionary and pastoral service in southern Africa (western region). Cape Town: Moravian Church in SAWCP. pg 26 Hoevers, Jan. 2012. Geskiedkundige kerke : 'n Gids tot 50 tradisionele kerke. Pretoria: Kontak-uitgewers. pg 49-50 Menache, Philippe & David, Darryl Earl. 2010. 101 Country Churches of South Africa. South Africa: Booktown Richmond Press. pg 89