Your guide to Heidelberg Gauteng
#97 Strydom Street
Heritage Blue Plaque #Nr 50
97 Strydom Street
What is the story here?
After examining this house it is assumed that the core of the house consisting of 3 rooms was built before 1900. The assumption is made as inside the roof is the old gable of the one side of the existing structure. The floors and ceilings are of Oregon Pine as well as the sash cord windows. The house must of had a complete makeover in the 1920s, with rooms added on both sides and the back with steel window frames. This was also assumed when the pressed metal ceilings were installed under the original Oregon pine plank ceilings.
The knotty pine ceilings are a bit of a puzzle and would not have been installed in the 1920s. A pressboard ceiling could of originally been erected and then replaced by the knotty pine in the 1980/90s when it was the fashion.Wiekie and Pieter Johannis Cornelius Rautenbach stayed in this house from 1994 to 2012, when Pieter died of a heart attack. They had 4 daughters who went to Hoêr Volkskool. The one daughter married the son of the neighbour and another daughter died while pregnant of a blood clot.
They found old magazines, such as Huisgenoot, Landbou, Kerkbode dated around the 1920s in the ceiling.
Pieter was a Fitter and Turner and worked at the then “Rembrandt Tobacco” Factory. They bought the house from the estate of Pieter’s uncle, Mr Michael Erasmus who worked at the Provincial Roads Department and died of a heart attack in the house.
Being a Fitter and Turner, Pieter, turned the wooden pillars to the back porch.
The current owners are Dawie and Juanita van Eeden who bought the property four years ago.
The property was then registered to a Mr W.H. Hattingh on the 24.06.1974.
There could have been a previous building on Stand 171 which was demolished to make way for the two houses. What still remains is parts of the original stables at the back of both properties. It is also assumed that there was a sanitary lane between the houses for the night buckets to be removed and access to the stables.
Mr. James Gibson Pagan was the son of John (30.04.1844-08.03.1917) and Margret Wilson nee McArthur Pagan (22.02.1847-25.01.1922). John Pagan was born in Penfort, Dumfriesshires, Scotland. When McLaren started to work in Heidelberg he initially worked for Ueckermann until he decided to open up his own shop with John Pagan.
John Pagan was in partnership with Mr McLaren and they were the wealthiest people in Heidelberg. They were also founding members of the Presbyterian Church in Heidelberg. John and Margret are buried in the Heidelberg Kloof Cemetery amd James is buried in the Heidelberg Kamp Cemetery. James Pagan is buried in the Heidelberg Kamp Cemetery.
