Sammy Marks was born in Lithuania and moved to South Africa in 1868 aged 24. Marks moved to Pretoria in 1881. Marks was a close friend of President Paul Kruger. In the beginning Marks spent his time peddling jewellery before teaming up with his cousin Isaac Lewis to start a business selling supplies to mines and diggers in South Africa’s quickly growing mining towns.

 

The business was a great success and the duo then expanded their interests and opened a distillery, canning factory, glass factory, brick and tile works, maize mill and steel works. They were also very much involved in mining and made a great fortune in the coal mines which lined the banks of the Vaal River. Marks pioneered the use of steam tractors and progressive farming implements.

 

He also sponsored the establishing of flour-mills and brick and tile works at Vereeniging. For many years Marks had planned an iron and steel works in the Transvaal, and visited Britain to inspect the installations there at first hand. When he landed a contract with the Government in 1911 for smelting large quantities of scrap metal, he founded in 1912 the Union Steel Corporation now ISCOR.

The current owner is the great grandson of Petrus Johannes Justus Daniel Kilian (1850-1941) a well known Heidelberger who fought in both Anglo Boer Wars. Kilian has been staying in the house since 2001.
Source: Article written by Eugene Viljoen in the 23rd March 2022 edition of the Heidelberg/Nigel Heraut.
According to Edmond de la Harpe, the daughter of Senator Theodor Amadeus Heinrich Donges, who was a teacher at Volkskool, also resided at this house at one time.