It has been about four decades since the people of Johannesburg rallied to put pressure on the Johannesburg City Council and the Foschini Group to save the Markhams Building from demolition. The article below, written by J Campbell-Pitt representing the then Transvaal Institute of Arhitects, reveals the architectural and historical significance of the building. The piece was published in the August 1979 edition of Restorica, the journal of the Simon van der Stel Foundation. Thank you to the Heritage Association of South Africa and University of Pretoria (Restorica copyright holders) for giving us permission to publish.
Markham's is the second oldest retail business in Johannesburg still operating from the same premises. When it was bought by the Foschini group, the name was not changed.
Early photo of the Markhams Building (Girders on the Veld)
Markham's Building was erected in 1896/7, and is one of the oldest surviving buildings of historical and architectural significance in the city. It was designed in the Second Empire Style (French Neo Baroque) and is the only surviving example of commercial architecture in that style. The design is based on a portion of the facade of the new Louvre (Paris) by Visconti and Lefuel (built 1852-7). It also reflects the treatment used by Sir Charles Barry in the Halifax Town Hall (built...
