Donkin Row Houses

In the late 1980s Dr Nic Woolff compiled the article 'Lessons Learned from Restoring the Donkin Row Houses'. It was published in Restorica, the journal of the Simon van der Stel Foundation (today the Heritage Association of South Africa). If sentiment on the ground at the moment is anything to go on, the current developer has not learned any lessons and therefore this piece might make depressing reading for members of the heritage community. Thank you to the University of Pretoria (copyright holders) for giving us permission to publish the article.

The Group of Row Houses in Donkin Street is a very important and beautiful architectural feature of Port Elizabeth. As one of only a few remaining examples in this genre they are today much more valuable than when they were built originally. After meticulously restoring them, the author - a medical doctor by profession - was awarded the main prize (jointly) in the Herald Architecture Awards for 1988. In this article he describes the principles behind the policy he adopted for the restoration of these houses.

Donkin Row Houses after Restoration (wikicommons)

I am convinced from my experience in Donkin Street that no outstanding abilities are required for restoration. What is needed is time, interest and application. And this should not be surprising when one considers that those who...

[Originally published on 29 August 2013] On 5 August 2013 we published a letter from Andrew Reed of the Mandela Bay Heritage Trust (MBHT) highlighting neglect and illegal work in Port Elizabeth's oldest suburb. He has not received an answer from the authorities and has therefore written the follow up letter published below.

In addition to the urgent request earlier this month to SAHRA/ECPHRA and the local authority (Land and housing and building inspectorate and the Metro council at large), of which there has been a conspicuous silence, there has now followed the complete removal of the boundary wall to the rear of Donkin Row Houses (Constitution Hill Street) as well as the rest of the back of the houses.

There is a common misconception that these 'additions' are 'outhouses' despite the fact that they appear on the Smyth Survey from 1903-6. The property owner continues to get away with breaking the law without following procedure and this has caused irrevocable damage already. The Donkin Houses have lost their uniqueness and are now merely simplified shadows of what they were.

This matter is growing out of all proportion and lack of local action and the subsequent blame for the destruction of the City's heritage will fall squarely on those who have had the power to act. Approximately 8 other properties (excluding the Donkin Row) have had illegal work done, and some even demolished outright.

As the scale of this situation grows, the National Public Prosecutor will have increasingly more ammunition with which...