City and suburban’s hidden historical gems
JOBURG - At first glance, City and Suburban doesn't appear to offer much more than shabby warehouses and crumbling pavements.
But to the trained eyes of Johannesburg Heritage Foundation tour guides, it is an area rich in historical sites and architectural gems, many of which were highlighted on a walking tour of the area.
The tour began at City Kids School, originally built for the use of Indian pupils. From there, the tour group made its way to the Pabst warehouse at 42 Durban Street, passing an old mattress factory converted into a block of flats.
The Pabst warehouse, a fine example of art deco architecture, was designed by German architect Wilhelm Pabst in 1943.
The next stop on the tour was the old Standard Bank building with its frieze of Britannia above the main doors, overshadowed by the M2 flyover.
From there, tour guide Nicola Noble led the tour group down Anderson Street, where she pointed out Kwa Mai Mai, one of the city’s oldest markets, located on the site of the mule stables of the old incinerator.
Hidden among the City and Suburban warehouses are two semi-detached cottages built by Harry Clayton, the city’s first architect, in 1895.
The tour group also made a brief stop at the site of Begbie’s Foundry, used as a Boer arsenal during the Anglo Boer War and the scene of an 1899 explosion that destroyed neighbouring houses and killed 12 Italian workers.
En route to Port Plein Park, the tour stopped at the 1916 Grabovac Building, a building designed by Macintosh and Moffat, and a building built by mining equipment importers E.W. Tarry & Co.
The old Three Castles building overlooking the park began as a cigarette factory and tobacco auction house. It received new leases on life as nightclubs, but was partially destroyed by a fire; the burnt out shell now the haunt of vagrants.
In stark contrast to the historical sites and warehouses was the colourful Elangeni Gardens. Built for low-cost housing, the building overlooks a closed off street that has become a playground for residents’ children.
After visiting the site of the infamous men’s Pass Office, now a shelter for abused women and children, as well as 1 Polly Street, the home of the Polly Street Art Centre and later the women’s Pass Office, the tour made its way back to City Kids School.
The Johannesburg Heritage Foundation runs regular bus and walking tours of the city’s historical sites.
Details: 011-482-3349; www.joburgheritage.co.za
