10th blue plaque goes to Le Bonheur Guesthouse
Le Bonheur Guesthouse in Verwoerd Street was the recipient of the 10th heritage plaque on July 9.
This historic house was built in 1903 as living quarters for children orphaned during the Second Anglo-Boer War, which lasted from 1899 to 1902. Thereafter the house was used as the Excelsior Hostel, a boarding house for the College of Education.
David Johannes Mentz Jordaan (1887 – 1959) was the hostel warden in 1911.
The house was remodelled to ensure comfort in the 1990s, and the original building and woodwork were preserved to maintain the charming quality of the Cape-Dutch home.
In 2020 the main house was transformed into a health centre, where ozone therapy is used to build up people’s immunity and improve various diseases. This section of the property is known as the Le Bonheur Wellness Centre.
Louisa van Huyssteen, the owner of Le Bonheur, said the guesthouse is proud of its heritage; they also sponsored the blue plaque.
