Town Hall KwaNojoli (Somerset East), Eastern Cape Architect: OWEN EATON and MERRIFIELD

Oblique view from street Photographer: Morné van Rooyen

Date: 1934 Type: Town Hall Status: Extant

Coordinates: 32°43'11.03" S 25°35'00.14" E Alt: 747m

Notes: Transcription of a ‘copy’ of the memorial placed behind the Foundation Stone of the original 1890 building: Be it hereby made known ____________________________________________________ That on this the 25th day of September 1890 and in the 53rd year of the reign of Her Most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria His Excellency Sir Henry Brougham Loch K. G. C. K. C. B. being Governor of the Cape of Good Hope The Hon Cecil RHODES Premier and Lorenzo Boyes Esq. C.C. and R.M. of Somerset East –––––– THE FOUNDATION STONE OF THIS––––– Building to be used as a Town Hall, Library, Reading Room and Municipal Offices was laid by Mrs. Lorenzo Boyes wife of the C.C. R. M. ____________________________________________________ Architect Nondick Abraham Contractors C. H. Evans John Battiss Members of the Municipality J. Hughes Chairman W. H. Humphrey J. S. B. Holden Jas. Smythe E. J. Hiscock F Jackson Quintin H. Scott TOWN CLERK OVERSEER SUP. WATERWORKS R. Archer U M Schmelzer L. Murrell Members of Divisional Council L. Boyes Chairman J. H. Botha Esq. P. J. Fourie Esq. H. I. Moolman Esq. M. I. Lombard Esq. J. G. J. Lotter Esq. P. du Plessis Esq J Hughes, Sec. Members of Parliament W. H. Hockley Esq. M. L. A. G. A. Palmer Esq. M. L. A. R. M. Bowker Esq. M. L. C. Clergy Dutch Reformed Church Rev. J. H. Hofmeyer Episcopal Church Rev. I. Cookson Presbyterian Church Rev. Wm. Leith Wesleyan Church Rev. N. Abraham Congregational Church Rev. Wm. Oates Newspapers Budget & Renbode, Somerset East. A. Hill, Esq. Enterprise & Volkesbode, Bedford. T. C. Hull, Esq. ____________________________________________________ Notes: The original memorial was found sealed in a bottle behind the 1890 foundation stone and was discovered during the course of the alterations in 1934. A copy of the memorial was provided by Giles Battiss from a collection of documents provided to him by Doreen Louise Eaton (nee Battiss). Doreen was the wife of Francis Owen Eaton (the architect involved in the adaptive re-use and alteration of the building in 1934) and the great grand-daughter of John Battiss (the building contractor in 1890). Abbreviations C.C. & R.M.: Civil Commissioner and Resident Magistrate M.L. A.: Member of Legislative Assembly M. L. C.: Member of Legislative Council Submitted by: William MARTINSON Transcription of Foundation Stone (English) laid in the course of the adaptive re-use: THIS STONE WAS LAID BY THE MAYORESS MRS. C. S. AURET FEBRUARY 26 1936 ON THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE BUILDING. Transcription of Foundation Stone (Afrikaans): HIERDIE STEEN IS GELÊ DEUR DIE BURGERMEESTERES MEV. C. S. AURET FEBRUARIE 26 1936 BY DIE WEEROPRIGTING VAN DIE GEBOU. Submitted by William MARTINSON (CAD M3/1405; SAB Jan 1935:47)

Foundation Stone: Afrikaans Photographer: William Martinson - 2013 Detail of column capital Photographer: William Martinson - 2013 Foundation Stone: English Photographer: William Martinson - 2013 Turned brass finial to wrought iron baludstrade Photographer: William Martinson - 2013 Foundation stone of the original town hall (presumably) re-used and inset into the plinth on the central axis of the north elevation Photographer: William Martinson - 2013 East elevation Photographer: William Martinson - 2019 Looking through colonnade Photographer: William Martinson - 2019 Detail of turned brass finial to handrail Photographer: William Martinson - 2019 Detail of turned brass finial to handrail Photographer: William Martinson - 2019 Street elevation Photographer: Annelise Lange – 2019 Street context Photographer: Annelise Lange – 2019

Scanned copy of a memorial lodged behind the Foundation Stone of the first Town Hall on the occasion of the laying of the Foundation Stone on 25 September 1890. Copy provided by Giles Battiss from collection of Doreen Louise Eaton (nee Battiss) Submitted by William MARTINSON Click for larger image