On 5 April 2017, Keith Martin, who heads up the heritage community in Modderfontein, unveiled the first two heritage plaques to be erected in the area. This was done in conjunction with the Thornhill Homeowners Association and under the auspices of Joburg Heritage. The plaques are positioned at significant sites within Thornhill Estate.
One site commemorates the first granite rocks to be quarried at Modderfontein. These are located on a specially built platform at 8 Brussels Ave.
Granite Rocks Blue Plaque (Modderfontein Conservation Society)
The second plaque marks a water point which originally supplied water from the Klondyke Spring to the residents in the villages close to the factory (see main image). Thornhill resident Allan Bartram moved the water point to Central Park to save it from being destroyed when it stood in the way of Gautrain rail construction.
The motivation to embark on a programme of erecting blue heritage plaques in Modderfontein was initiated by Keith and the Heritage Group. The Thornhill Estate Homeowners Association (THOA) were very encouraging and gave their support to the project.
“We hope that this is just the start of an on-going effort to highlight Modderfontein heritage and that further plaques will be added to significant buildings in time,” says Keith. “We also hope...
