Your guide to Heidelberg Gauteng
#Excelsior Hostel
Heritage Blue Plaque #Nr 10
EXCELSIOR HOSTEL - 115 HF Verwoerd Street
What is the story here?
The new hostel “Excelsior” was built in 1923, by Mr. JS Joubert, at a cost of £10 820. The hostel accommodated 90 boys.
THE HISTORY OF THE EXCELSIOR HOSTEL
THE ORIGINAL INDUSTRIAL-ERA HOSTEL (1912 - 1917)
Heidelberg’s educational infrastructure expanded significantly in 1912 with the establishment of the Excelsior Hostel. The original facility was strategically situated adjacent to the Vereeniging road, along the western perimeter of West Street. The estate originally comprised four distinct functional buildings, though one of these historical structures has since been demolished.
Mr David Johannes Mentz Jordaan (1887 - 1959) served as the foundational hostel father, managing the daily operations and student welfare on a deeply dedicated, personal level. At the conclusion of 1917, Jordaan resigned his administrative post to pursue a public career in local politics, subsequently serving a tenure as the Mayor of Heidelberg. Following his departure, the governing School Commission reviewed the institution's operations and officially resolved to transfer the management of the hostel to the local Nederduitsche Gereformeerde (NG) Church.
CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW EXCELSIOR RESIDENCE (1923)
As student numbers continued to grow, a brand-new, modern Excelsior Hostel facility was commissioned in 1923. The construction contract was awarded to the well-known local builder and church deacon, Mr J.S. Joubert, who completed the project at a total cost of £10,820. The grand new building was specifically designed to accommodate 90 schoolboys, becoming a cornerstone of the town's expanding educational district.
MODERN RESIDENTIAL TRANSFORMATIONS AND STRUCTURAL CHANGES
The historic property later transitioned into a private family residence. In 1980, local historian Tony Burisch, then 23 years old, lived in the house alongside his parents and siblings. The property featured expansive grounds, including a large family swimming pool constructed by the Burisch family, which has since been filled in and tiled over.
The property was later sold by the Burisch family to a buyer named Roger, who undertook a massive architectural renovation to sensitively repurpose the stately residence into a commercial guest house. These extensive structural changes significantly altered the internal character of the building; original wooden floors and historic fireplaces were extracted, internal walls were demolished to create spacious guest suites, and the traditional open veranda was fully enclosed to maximize the interior layout.
THE LEGEND OF BURIED BOER WAR GOLD
A charming piece of local lore unfolded on the property during the Burisch family’s residency. An elderly neighbour - affectionately referred to as an "Ou Oomie" - approached Tony and his brother, Clive, with a theory regarding hidden treasure. Believing the site's history predated the Second Anglo-Boer War, the neighbour argued that early residents must have buried valuable gold coins in the yard to protect their wealth before deploying to the battlefields.
The neighbour utilized a traditional dowsing or divining rod, which featured a string attached to a small plastic container holding a sample piece of real gold to act as an elemental lure. He systematically scouted the estate, pointing out specific coordinates where the rod reacted. Inspired by the prospect of discovery, the brothers excavated numerous deep test holes across the lawns. Ultimately, no gold coins were recovered, and their father was left entirely displeased by the extensive disruption to his garden landscape.
Sources: "Aan God Alleen Die Eer" by Dr A.E. Faul Bosman, and the personal family archives and oral history records of Tony Burisch (compiled July 2021).
