The following article, looking at the history of the Old Rectory in Plettenberg Bay, was written by Patricia Storrar and appeared in the 1981 edition of Restorica, the journal of the Simon van der Stel Foundation (today the Heritage Association of South Africa). For current details on the structure and more history of Plettenberg Bay contact the local historical society (click here for details). Thank you to the University of Pretoria (copyright holders) for giving us permission to publish.
Historically speaking, by far the most important building in Plettenberg Bay is the one known today as the Old Rectory. It is one of the few substantial structures in the Eastern Cape remaining virtually intact from the days of the Dutch East India Company. It adjoins the Old Timber Shed, which was proclaimed a National Monument in 1964 but is older than the latter by 10 years.
The first evidence that there was a fairly large building on this site in 1777 appears on a map of that year by an unknown cartographer, on which it is marked as "Verblijf voor het valk". On J .C. Frederici's better-known map of the "Platte Grond van S.E. Compagnies Post in de Plettenberg's Baay", drawn 12 years later, the structure is marked as "Project tot de Militaire Logies" and on another Frederici plan of the same period as "Militaaren Logies".
It was not surprising that it was thought necessary to house some military personnel at the Bay (then thought to be a promising harbour) towards the end of...
