Rawson Paarl selling one of Paarl's most historic buildings

The Rawson Property Group’s Paarl franchise is selling a 200 year old home in Oranje Street, Paarl, which, it is said, is strongly linked to Paarl’s once flourishing wagon building industry.

Lizette Joubert, franchisee for the Rawson Property Group in Paarl, said that Hennie van der Merwe of the Stellenbosch University Afrikaans Cultural History Department has shown (in an interesting paper published by that department) that from roughly the middle of the 18th century to the end of the 19th century (and possibly a bit beyond) Paarl’s Wamakersvallei played the leading role in the manufacture of the wagons. Which prior to – and indeed after – the opening of the railway line to the north made the exploration and development of South Africa by entrepreneurs possible.

According to van der Merwe, initially the wagon building took place in the agterplase of the Paarl residence in the Droeriemgebied between Oranje and Kloof Roads through which the main road to the north ran, providing a great stimulus to wagon building in the area.  Here carpenters, blacksmiths and decorators worked together to build the wagons which, among other things, made possible the reception and settling of the British Settlers in 1820 and later The Great Trek. The wagons built here also played an important part in the opening up of the Kimberley diamond and the Witwatersrand gold fields.

Two firms, P B de Ville & Co and J P Retief & Co, were most prominent in the Paarl wagon building industry.  They were the first to build factories and later to use steam driven machinery, particularly for heavy duty work such as saw milling.

According to Hesdarie Uys the home is today still in good condition having been refurbished two or three times during its history.  It has a single gable, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, an open-plan living, dining and kitchen area and two garages.  It also has many of the features which make homes of its period so characterful – a long shady voorstoep, a big Oregon pine front door, a loft entered via a wooden staircase, marble tiled floors in the kitchen and bathrooms, stained glass inlays adjacent to some doors, a big open hearth fireplace – now converted for use as an indoor braai area - and freestanding koolstofies in the other rooms.

At the back of the building is a quiet enclosed courtyard with a large central tree giving shade.

“In all my experience in selling homes I have never come across one with so much character and charm,” said Hesdarie Uys recently.  “Despite quite obviously originally being the home of rich families, it is comfortable and unpretentious.”

The list price of the home is R2,3 million, which, said Uys, is extremely reasonable for a home of this quality.  It is sited on an erf of 590 m2 and has approximately 250 m2 of indoor floor space.  It is also particularly well situated in relation to Paarl’s major retail centres and schools.

For further information contact Hesdarie Uys on 021 872 8385 or email hesdarie.pa@rawson.co.za.