In the article below, Oscar Norwich, Johannesburg historian and collector, charts the historic sites of early Johannesburg. It is a wonderful resource for researchers, enthusiasts and anyone interested in Johannesburg's built environment history. The piece first appeared in the September 1984 edition of the old Johannesburg Historical Foundation's journal 'Between the Chains'. Thank you to the Norwich family for their kind permission to publish this article.

With the rapidly changing face of Johannesburg, the Foundation felt it necessary to compile a list of historically important houses, buildings, schools, churches, institutions, parks, etc., before they had all disappeared; by which time no one would remember where they had been.

The list published below, compiled by Dr. I. Norwich, is not claimed to be complete, but it does attempt to record some of the more important aspects of Johannesburg's early history.

A. Early Mining
B. Early Residences
C. Early Places of Worship - Different Denominations
D. Early Historic Residences and Mansions
E. Business and Business Sites
F. Early Clubs and Parks
G. Theatres and Places of Amusement
H. Early Schools
I. Buildings Before 1900
J. Early Hotels and Tea Garden
K. Cemetery
L. Early Local Government Building and Sites
M. Hospitals and Ancillary Services
N. Early Fire Stations

A. Early Mining

1. Site of Widow Anna Elizabeth Oosthuizen's Farmhouse. This was situated between Rif Street and Kamp Street in the valley east of Calstock Road, facing a mine dump in the background. Only the remains of the foundations are still to be seen.

2. Site of Gold Mining Claims nos. 19 and 21. These were the original discoverers' claims and were worked by the pioneer prospectors George Harrison and George Walker in Harrison Park, Langlaagte. A proclamation declaring these sites to be public diggings was published in the Staatscourant (Government Gazette) no. 294 of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek on 8 September 1886.

 

The Gold Discovery Site, George Harrison Park (Gavin Whitfield)

 

3. Paarlshoop Beacon. This is believed to be the oldest mining beacon and is situated in Rif Street (Langlaagte). Paarlshoop was founded by a contingent from Paarl in 1886, under the leadership of Daniel Francois du Toit. The name symbolised the hope of the inhabitants of Paarl. The Paarl syndicate purchased G.C. Oosthuizen's farm on 26 September 1886. It was the earliest township in Johannesburg. The mining company was floated with the assistance of S.J. du Toit, who was a leading protagonist of Afrikaans and who later became the Superintendent-General of Education in the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (Z.A.R.). The remainder of the farm was bought for £8,000, paid for in golden sovereigns, in the presence of President Kruger. In the valley below to the east was a fine stream of water with willow trees where the Widow Oosthuizen's farmhouse stood.

4. Ferreira's Camp. This site is where Colonel Ignatius Ferreira pitched his tent in 1886, thus establishing one of the earliest settlements in Johannesburg. It is just west of West Street.

5. Natal Camp. Durban Street, City and Suburban, before it becomes Jules Street at the canalised Natal Spruit, is where the Natal contingent settled under the leadership of P.J. Meyer, who had been appointed as an unofficial mining commissioner by President Kruger in 1886.

6. Early Smelting Furnace. This is at Crown Mines headquarters off the Main Reef Road, near Church Street Extension, Mayfair.

7. Wooden Mining Headgear. This is one of the earliest of its type. It was on the south side of the Main Reef Road near the municipal bus shelter, Fordsburg, and has since been removed.

8. Original Native Compounds. These are at Crown Mines on both sides of the Main Reef Road in the Crown industrial area.

9. Row of Original Corrugated Iron Houses. These were early miners' homes in Church Street Extension, Mayfair.

10. Crown Mines Village of Corrugated Iron Houses. They are reputed to have been planned in Sir Herbert Baker's office. They are also known as the "Royal Village".

11. Site of Early MacArthur-Forrest Cyanide Tanks. These are at Robinson Gold Mine. The first plant was established by the Robinson Gold Mining Company in 1890 after an initial test and a demonstration by certain mining personalities in Barberton who negotiated with the Cassel Gold Extracting Company which owned the MacArthur-Forrest patents and which carried out trials and demonstrations at the Salisbury plant of the Salisbury Gold Recovery Company. The first test was actually done at the Salisbury Mine.

12. Beacon (portion of the Original). This marks the most northerly point of the original triangular piece of ground known as Randjeslaagte. It is situated at the top of Boundary Road, Houghton and is now a National Monument.

 

Randjeslaagte Beacon (The Heritage Portal)

 

B. Early Residences

1. Hermann Eckstein's Residence. This was situated at 27 Noord Street opposite the Johannesburg Station and in the vicinity of the original Park Halt.

2. First Von Brandis Residence. This was on the edge of a square on the corner of Jeppe and Klein Streets.

3. Norman House. This was the early residence of Barney Barnato and later of Colonel John Dale Lace. It is situated in End Street where it runs through to Davies Street, off Beit Street, in Doornfontein.

 

Norman House circa 2006 (Winston Klein)

 

4. Windybrow. This was the home of Theodore Reunert and is situated in Pietersen Street, Upper Doornfontein, off Nugget Street, at the base of Pullinger Kop. It is now a National Monument.

 

Old photo of Windybrow

 

5. Henri Bettelheim owned a house in Doornfontein on the south-west corner of Davies Street and Beit Street. The dome of his Byzantine style residence, which is all that remains, is in the yard of a firm of engineers.

 

The dome of Bettelheim House (The Heritage Portal)

 

6. Shelley House. This was a house built in Tudor style for visiting judges during the days of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek. It is at the top of Charlton Terrace, just beyond the Harrow Road Highway.

7. Bezuidenhout Homesteads (in Bezuidenhout Park). There are two houses, both still in existence, built in 1850 on portion of the original farm Doornfontein. One belonged to F.J. Bezuidenhout and the adjacent house to his son, Barend.

 

Bezuidenhout Farmhouse (The Heritage Portal)

 

8. Melrose House. This was the residence of H.B. Marshall, an early township promoter. It is situated in Melrose Road, Melrose.

9. Louw Geldenhuys Residence. It is situated at 14, Greenhill Road, Emmarentia Extension.

10. Frans Geldenhuys Residence. This house is situated in Marks Park, 30, Orange Road, Emmarentia, and is now the Johannesburg municipal club house.

11. Sir Julius Jeppe's Residence. The house was named Friedenheim and was situated in Robinson Road, Belgravia. It has since been demolished. Only the entrance gates remain.

 

Friedenheim Gates (Kathy Munro)

 

12. Charlie Marx's Residence. It was called Thabana and is also situated in Robinson Road opposite Friedenheim.

13. Early Miners' Residences. These are to be found in Op de Bergen Street, Fairview, with the original Frizelle residence at the top of the row. Mr. Frizelle was a pioneer plumber of Johannesburg.

C. Early Places of Worship of Different Denominations

1. Early Presbyterian Church. This dates from 1890 and was situated on the north side of Kerk Street between Rissik and Joubert Streets.

2. Wesleyan Church. This was built in 1889 and was on the corner of Kruis and President Streets.

3. St. Mary's Anglican Church was built in 1887 on the south-west corner of Eloff and Kerk Streets, on the site of the present St. Mary's Building.

4. St. Augustine's Church is a corrugated iron structure erected ca. 1888 in Height Street, Doornfontein, opposite the Doornfontein Hotel which was situated just off Beit Street. Later another church was built on the corner of Charlton Terrace and Harrow Road. This church has since been demolished.

5. Fox Street Synagogue. This was the earliest orthodox synagogue and was situated at what is now the headquarters of Anglo American Corporation at 44 Main Street.

6. President Street Synagogue was on the site of the present Olga Building which is adjacent to Dawson's Hotel. It was erected ca. 1888.

7. Park Synagogue was situated opposite the Johannesburg Station in Noord Street, near Attwell Garden, which is the square between Joubert and Eloff Streets. It was opened in 1892 by President Kruger and has since been demolished.

8. St. Mary the Less was built in 1889 in Park Street, Jeppestown, off John Page Drive. It is the oldest building in Johannesburg still standing today (1984).

 

St Mary the Less (The Heritage Portal)

 

9. Early Catholic Church. This was built in 1887 on the corner of Fox and Smal Streets.

10. Gereformeerde Kerk was built in 1896 on the old Kazerne site.

11. Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk, known as the Irene Kerk, was erected in 1890 on the corner of Plein and Twist Streets, opposite the Union Ground. It was subsequently demolished and the Landdrost Hotel now stands on the site.

D. Historic Residences and Mansions

1. Hohenheim was the first house built by Sir Lionel and Lady Phillips in 1894 on the Parktown Ridge. It was later demolished and the site is now occupied by the Johannesburg Hospital.

 

Hohenheim

 

2. Dolobran, at the corner of Oxford Road and Victoria Avenue, Parktown, was built in 1905 for Sir Llewellyn Andersson and has been continuously in the hands of the Andersson family ever since. It is now a National Monument.

 

Dolobran (Lucille Davie)

 

3. Northwards, which is situated in Rockridge Road on the Parktown Ridge, was built in 1904 for Colonel John Dale Lace, and was subsequently purchased by Sir George Albu. It is a National Monument.

 

Northwards (The Heritage Portal)

 

4. North Lodge was built in 1905 for Henry Wilson and is situated on the corner of Victoria Avenue and Oxford Road, opposite Dolobran. It is now a National Monument.

5. Emoyeni is situated at the eastern end of Jubilee Road. It was built in 1905 by H.C. Hull, a Cabinet Minister in the first Union Parliament in 1910. It is now owned by the Transvaal Provincial Administration and is a National Monument.

 

Emoyeni (The Heritage Portal)

 

6. Stone House is situated at 5, Rockridge Road, Parktown, and was designed and built in 1902 by Sir Herbert Baker as a residence for himself and members of Milner's "Kindergarten". It is now the home of Ian Mackenzie and is a National Monument.

 

Stonehouse (The Heritage Portal)

 

7. St. Margaret's, at 3, Rockridge Road, Parktown, is a mansion designed in 1911 by Sir Herbert Baker and Fleming for the Smith family.

8. Arcadia was the second home of Sir Lionel and Lady Phillips in Parktown. It was built in 1905 in Oxford Road on the Parktown Ridge. It is now a home for Jewish children.

 

Arcadia (The Heritage Portal)

 

9. The View, in Ridge Road, Parktown, was built in 1896 by Sir Thomas Cullinan. It was occupied continuously by the family until Lady Cullinan's death in 1963 at the age of ninety-seven.

 

The View (The Heritage Portal)

 

10. Hazeldene Hall is adjacent to "The View" in Ridge Road, Parktown. It was built in 1902 by Charles Jerome, a co-director of the Cullinan business and the Premier Mine. It is noted for its beautiful cast iron railings and its trelliswork, among other features.

 

Hazeldene Hall (The Heritage Portal)

 

11. Woodlands. This house belonged to Godfray Lys and was built ca. 1896 in Oxford Road, Parktown, adjacent to Parktown Convent. Portion of the house is now in the grounds of Temple Emanuel.

12. Eckstein Compound. These were residences designed by Sir Herbert Baker and built in 1895 in Parktown West for the Corner House Group. They were bounded by Loch Avenue, Barkly Road, Frere Road and Doveton Road. Several smaller houses for employees of the Group were also erected in this area.

13. Onderkopjes was situated in Oxford Road, Parktown, just off the M.1 Highway, and was variously occupied by Eduard Lippert and A.V. Lindbergh. The remains of a gate and a wall are still to be seen.

 

Onderkopjes remain (The Heritage Portal)

 

14. Van Wouw Residence in Sivewright Avenue, New Doornfontein, off Beit Street, was the home for many years of Anton van Wouw, the famous sculptor. The house has now been restored and is in use as a restaurant, with the sculptor's studio still intact. (since demolished)

E. Business and Business Sites

1. Corner House is situated on the north-east corner of Simmonds and Commissioner Streets. It is the headquarters of the Rand Mines Group (Hermann Eckstein and Company).

 

Corner House (The Heritage Portal)

 

2. Site of "Between the Chains", where dealing in shares took place. It was in the portion of Simmonds Street between Market and Commissioner Streets.

3. Site of the first Stock Exchange building, which was situated on the north-west corner of Simmonds and Commissioner Streets.

 

First Stock Exchange Building (Johannesburg Saga)

 

4. Wеvell's Wagon and Coach Building, which was on the north-west corner of Sauer and Market Streets. W.H. Coetzer, the well-known painter, worked here for many years as a wheelwright.

5. Herbert Evans' Original Store, 1888. This was in Eloff Street and not on the present site in Pritchard Street. It has since been demolished.

6. Henwood's Arcade and Building, 1894, was situated at the corner of Loveday and President Streets and has since been demolished.

7. Old Arcade, 1890, is opposite the City Hall and runs from Market Street into Commissioner Street.

8. Golden Mortar Dispensary, 1886. This was the earliest chemist's business and was situated in a tent in Commissioner Street West.

9. Juta's Bookshop is on the north-east corner of Pritchard and Loveday Streets, where it has been continuously since 1887.

10. Natal Bank was on the south side of Market Street between Loveday and Harrison Streets. The building is now occupied by Barclays Bank Museum.

 

Natal Bank (left) (The Heritage Portal)

 

11. Johannesburg Consolidated Investment Company (J.C.I.) is one of the early mining finance companies and is situated on the corner of Harrison and Fox Streets.

 

Consolidated Building (The Heritage Portal)

 

12. Barbican Building is on the north-west corner of Rissik and President Streets. It was the first high rise building erected in Johannesburg.

 

Barbican Building (The Heritage Portal)

 

13. Van Eck Building (Old Escom House) was situated in Rissik Street between Main and Marshall Streets. It was demolished in June 1984.

 

Escom House (Bath Family Archive)

 

14. Robinson Bank was established in 1894 by Sir J.B. Robinson and was situated on the corner of Market and Simmonds Streets. It was later demolished.

15. Palace Building was erected in 1889 on the south-west corner of Rissik and Pritchard Streets. It was subsequently demolished and rebuilt.

 

Palace Buildings (Davied Brothers)

 

16. Exploration Building was situated in Commissioner Street between Fraser and Sauer Streets. It was subsequently demolished.

17. Corporation Building stands on the south-east corner of Rissik and Commissioner Streets.

18. Cuthbert's Building was erected in 1904 on the south-west corner of Eloff and Pritchard Streets. It is still standing.

 

Cuthberts Building (The Heritage Portal)

 

F. Early Clubs and Parks

1. Doornfontein Club was established in 1889 by Sam Height and was situated in End Street. The site was subsequently occupied by End Street Convent near the present railway line.

2. Rand Club. The original building was built before 1890 in Loveday Street between Commissioner and Fox Streets. It was later rebuilt.

 

Postcard of the Third Rand Club

 

3. Wanderers Club was established in 1888 on the site of the original Kruger Park which is now part of the Johannesburg Railway Station.

4. Johannesburg Turf Club was established in 1889 and is situated in Turffontein.

5. Early Johannesburg Golf Course was situated on the Houghton Estate off Morgan Road (now Louis Botha Avenue). The original club house stood on the site of St. John's College Chapel. The club later became the Royal Johannesburg Golf Club on its present site in Linksfield.

6. Joubert Park was established in 1887. It was laid out in a rudimentary manner by 1889. It is bounded by Wolmarans Street, King George Street, Twist Street and Noord Street (railway lines).

 

Old postcard of Joubert Park

 

7. Bezuidenhout Park was so named in 1945 by the Johannesburg City Council. It is situated on part of the old Bezuidenhout Farm which dated from ca. 1850 and was portion of the original farm Doornfontein.

8. Jeppestown Oval contains the earliest monument to Sir Julius Jeppe. It bears inscriptions in two languages — English and German.

 

Julius Jeppe Memorial (The Heritage Portal)

 

G. Theatres and Place of Amusement

1. Fillis' Circus, 1886. This performed originally in Ferreira's Camp and later in Marshall Square. In 1888 it was finally established on a site in Bree Street between Rissik and Harrison Streets.

2. Theatre Royal was first built in 1887 in Market Street. A second theatre of that name was erected on the corner of Eloff and Commissioner Streets.

3. Globe Theatre was built in 1889 at the corner of Fox and Ferreira Streets.

4. Gaiety Theatre was built in Kort Street between Market and Commissioner Streets.

5. Standard Theatre was erected in 1891 east of the Rissik Street Post Office.

 

Protest to save the Standard Theatre (Lost Johannesburg)

 

6. Adam Leslie Theatre was commissioned by Sir George Farrar and designed by Sir Herbert Baker as a theatre for Lady Farrar. The foundation stone was laid in 1906 by Lady Farrar.

Early Schools

1. Fanny Buckland's first school was opened in 1887 in the wattle and daub home of Mrs F. Alexander, the mother of Muriel Alexander. It was situated at the corner of Jeppe and Rissik Streets.

2. Barnato Park was built by Barney Barnato ca. 1892-1893. The house subsequently became the Johannesburg High School for Girls. A painting of 1897 by Maltby depicts the gates to the house and the park itself.

3. Marist Brothers School was established in 1889 on the south-east corner of Koch and Claim Streets. The site is now occupied by the Mariston Hotel.

4. Jeppe High School for Boys. The original school was called St. Michael's School for Boys and it was situated at the corner of Crown and Commissioner Streets in Jeppestown. The foundation stone was laid in 1890 and it was subsequently opened by the Chief Justice of the Transvaal.

5. St. John's College was opened in 1898. The school first occupied premises in Plein Street (nos. 32-34) on the south side of Carl Hanau's six-roomed villa which stood opposite the original telephone tower in the centre of Johannesburg. The school closed down after one year on the outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War. When it was re-opened it was found to be too small and was moved to a new wood and corrugated iron building on the Union Ground in 1902. Subsequently the school was transferred to its present site in Houghton in 1907.

 

Old photo of St Johns College (South African Builder Magazine)

 

6. St. Mary's School was opened in 1889. With the assistance of the Rev. J.T. Darragh, Miss Mary Ross started the school in Jeppestown in the vicinity of Jeppe Railway Station. Shortly thereafter Miss Ross married the Rev. Darragh.

7. King Edward VII School for Boys was originally housed in Kerk Street. The school was transferred to Upper Houghton in 1902.

 

KES (The Heritage Portal)

 

8. End Street Convent. After the Doornfontein Club ceased to exist the Order of the Holy Family took over the building as a school known as the End Street Convent.

9. Parktown Convent was opened in 1905 in Oxford Road, Parktown. It was also run by the Order of the Holy Family when End Street Convent wished to establish a boarding school.

 

Holy Family College (The Heritage Portal)

 

10. I.H. Harris School was previously known as the Jewish Government School. It was opened in 1902 in Davies Street, Doornfontein, off Beit Street.

11. Roedean School was opened in 1903 in Janie Street, Jeppestown. It subsequently moved to Carse o' Gowrie Road in Parktown in 1905.

I. Buildings before 1900

1. Acme Cigarette Company (Castle) was established in 1898. Three Castle Cigarette Company's factory at the corner of Marshall and Gold Streets is still standing.

 

Three Castles Building (The Heritage Portal)

 

2. Woods Building dates from 1897 and still exists. It is situated in Commissioner Street on the south side between End and Nugget Streets.

3. Goch Building was a narrow building in Pritchard Street adjacent to Markhams Building. It was occupied by Goch the photographer and has since been demolished.

4. Methodist Church was built in 1897 in De Korte Street, Clifton, which is part of Braamfontein and was subsequently demolished.

5. The Fort was built between 1896 and 1899 and is still standing. It is situated in Kotze Street, Hillbrow and is now a National Monument. The coat of arms of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek is carved inside the main courtyard.

 

Old Fort (The Heritage Portal)

 

6. Kensington Flats were built in 1897 and are still standing. The building is situated at the corner of Noord and Banket Streets.

7. Markhams Building was erected ca. 1897 and is still in existence in Eloff Street. The building was remodelled in 1983.

 

Markhams Building (The Heritage Portal)

 

8. Pioneer Hotel was built in 1897 in Loveday Street and has since been demolished.

9. Rissik Street Post Office was erected in 1897 and is now a National Monument.

 

Rissik Street Post Office

 

10. Carmel Building was built in 1897 and is still standing. It is situated on the north-east corner of Diagonal and President Streets. The building was remodelled in 1984.

 

Carmel Building (The Heritage Portal)

 

11. Victory House is in Harrison Street between Commissioner and Fox Streets.

 

Victory House (The Heritage Portal)

 

12. Kimberley House. This two-storey building was erected in 1893 and was situated in Pritchard Street between Harrison and Loveday Streets. It was demolished in 1984.

 

Kimberley House Facade (The Heritage Portal)

 

13. Penlan House, 1897 is still standing. It is situated in Eloff Street between President and Pritchard Streets, adjoining Cuthberts Building.

 

Penlan House (The Heritage Portal)

 

14. Metropole Building was erected in 1883 in Kerk Street and was subsequently demolished.

J. Early Hotels and Tea Garden

1. Height's Hotel was built in 1887 in Commissioner Street, Ferreirastown.

2. Central Hotel was erected in 1887 on the south-west corner of Commissioner and Sauer Streets.

3. Grand National Hotel built in 1889, was in Rissik Street between Pritchard and Kerk Streets.

 

Grand National Hotel

 

4. Grand Station Hotel, which was built in 1897, is still standing in Main Street, Jeppestown.

 

Grand Station Hotel (The Heritage Portal)

 

5. Orange Grove Hotel was erected in 1888 in Louis Botha Avenue on the site of the original orange trees and tea garden. The hotel was subsequently demolished and the site is now occupied by the Great North Road Service Station.

6. East London Hotel is just off the corner of Loveday and Pritchard Streets, adjacent to Juta's Bookshop.

7. Empress Victoria Hotel stood in Bezuidenhout Street, Ferreirastown.

I. Tea Garden

The Willow Grove Tea Garden was in Paarlshoop, Langlaagte, near the present Langlaagte Station.

K. Cemeteries

1. The earliest cemetery in Johannesburg was on the corner of Bree and Harrison Streets.

2. Braamfontein Cemetery was enclosed in 1887.

 

Braamfontein Cemetery (The Heritage Portal)

 

L. Early Local Government Buildings and Sites

1. Von Brandis' first office in 1887 was in a tent on Von Brandis Square.

2. Early Telegraph Office was in Market Street.

3. Site of the First Telephone Exchange - the Telephone Tower - was at the foot of Joubert Street between De Villiers and Plein Streets.

 

Telephone Tower (From Mining Camp to Metropolis)

 

4. Corporation Building, on the south-east corner of Market and Rissik Streets, was used by the Johannesburg City Council as offices in the early days.

5. Early Trades Hall. This building, on the west side of Rissik Street, between Jeppe and Kerk Streets, was afterwards renamed Kodak House.

6. Rissik Street Post Office stands between Market and President Streets. It is now a National Monument.

7. City Hall. The foundation stone was laid in 1910.

 

Johannesburg City Hall

 

8. Tin Temple stood on a site at the corner of De Villiers and Plein Streets behind the Witwatersrand Technikon.

9. Park Halt was in Noord Street in the vicinity of the present Johannesburg Station. The first train was called the Rand Steam Tram and conveyed passengers and coal between Johannesburg and Boksburg.

 

Rand Tram (Seventy Golden Years)

 

M. Hospitals and Ancillary Services

1. General Hospital was opened by the Sisters of the Holy Family in 1888 in a temporary wood and iron building in Hospital Street. A portion of the original building still remains. The foundation stone of the permanent building was laid on the same site by General N.J. Smit, Vice-President of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (Z.A.R.), on 29 March 1889. The first patient was admitted in November of the same year.

2. Kensington Sanatorium was started by the Order of the Holy Family in Roberts Avenue, Kensington.

 

Postcard of the Kensington Sanitorium 

 

3. South African Institute for Medical Research (S.A.I.M.R.) is a building designed by Baker and Fleming in 1912.

 

South African Institute of Medical Research (The Heritage Portal)

 

N. Early Fire Stations

1. First Fire Station was on the Market Square behind the Johannesburg Public Library near Sauer Street.

2. Von Brandis Street Fire Station was situated in Von Brandis Square, off Jeppe Street.

 

About the author: Dr. Oscar Norwich was a medical doctor and passionate collector who focused on African maps and Johannesburg history. As founder of the Johannesburg Historical Foundation, he led city tours and tirelessly sought rare historical items related to Johannesburg. In 1986, he published a large folio-sized book of his Johannesburg postcard collection to commemorate the city's centenary. Norwich also authored several books on African and Southern African maps. His significant map collection was eventually acquired by Stanford University in the USA, though it remains accessible to scholars online.