Congregational Church Heidelberg, Western Cape

Diagonal south-eastern view from street. Stepped butresses flanking main eastern entrance and supporting the belfry. Photographer: Roger Fisher (2021)

Date: 1856-1859 : 1884 Client: Independente Gemeenskap Type: Church Style: Cape Vernacular Status: Extant but altered Street: 37 Van Riebeeck Street

Coordinates: 34°05'17.15" S 20°57'18.41" E Alt: 89m

Notes: The London Missionary Society had established the 'Caledon Institute' in the town of Zuurbraak in 1812. After some decades of neglect and dubious missionary endeavors the Reverant Daniel J Helms (1814-1873) was sent to minister to the congregants of Zuurbraak. His son Henry Charles Helms settled in the proximate area (which was to become the town of Heidelberg) in 1856. He bought a plot (where the Saint Barnabas Anglican Church now stands), where he built a homestead and trading store. On the property under a tree he he started Sunday services for the local community. The town authorities donated two stands for the erection of a church, which was inaugurated on 1859 05 11. At the time this congregation was in effect a satellite of the Zuurbraak congregation. With the death of Henry's brother Daniel, who had succeeded his father as missionary minister at Zuurbraak, in 1873 the congregation, who had in 1872 already elected for independence, seceded from the Zuurbraak Congregation as the 'Independente Kerk'. While in 1861 there had only been 19 congregants, including those members of the Helm family, by 1873 the church attended by 100 and more people. With the appointment of the Rev Thomas Gamble in 1884 the church was extended by a transverse wing to the north and the pulpit moved to the central cross-axis in the south. In 1977 the Church was expropriated by the state under the auspices of the Group Areas Act and title transferred to the Heidelberg Municipality. It was stripped of much of its interior, some of the pulpit embellishment being relocated to the new church in the so-called 'Coloured Township', while the yellow-wood pews disappeared to local farms stores. It was then used as a kindergarten school. With the land restitution under full democracy the church was returned to its congregation in 2007. It is at present (2021) being investigated for restoration.

References:

Stepped butresses of eastern gable flanking main entrance and supporting the belfry (bell moved to new church). Transverse nave added in 1884. Photographer: Roger Fisher (2021) Diagonal view from the north east. Old church of 1859 in background with transverse nave added in 1884 in foreground. Details stripped when the church was replastered in about the 1950s for its centenary. Photographer: Roger Fisher (2021) Inerior view of tie beams (yellow-wood) with foreground detail of crossing, with secondary tie-beams and batten thatching laths (probably from the 1970s).

Appearance after 1884 with transverse nave added. Lime-plater detail work and gable finials still in place. Steward, 1956: reverse of title page Photographer: Photostat of original document (1921) Appearance in 1956 in the time of the congregations centenary celebrations. Details stripped and over-plastered in sand-cement. Steward, 1956: reverse of title page Photographer: Photostat of original document (1921)