PILGRIMS REST
It was laid out as a gold-digger’s camp on the farm Ponies Krantz in 1870. The name is attributed to Alec Paterson, who is alleged to have welcomed newcomers with the words: ‘Here comes another pilgrim to his rest.’ It is also stated that the diggings were named after an Australian digger named Pilgrim. Another explanation is that William Trafford bestowed the name because he felt that his pilgrimage was over when he settled there. The town was preserved and restored as a historic monument proclaimed on 27 June 1986.
Map of Historical Pilgrim's Rest
• National Monument plaque
• National Monument plaque – Purchased as a living museum in 1974, the Transvaal Provincial administration restored the town and all the original buildings from 1880-1915 to their original state. The town was declared a national monument on 27 June 1986.
Diggings Site museum
• Diggings Site museum – Alluvial gold was found in Pilgrim’s Creek in 1873. Diggers originally stayed in tents and later in wattle and daub huts. Most of the claims were worked out by 1881 and a gold mining company was established. Steam machinery was used near the sites. It now depicts the life and times of the adventurous people who were the pioneers of the gold mining industry.
Drostdy
• Drostdy BNB
St Mary’s Anglican Church
• St Mary’s Anglican Church – Replacing a wattle and daub structure. This church was built by Frank Dowling, a clerk to the local Gold Commissioner and later licensed by the Bishop as a Lay preacher, in 1884. The cornerstone was laid on June 1884. Dowling left in 1886. The organ is over a 100 years old. Restored in the 1990’s
Lodge Blyde
• Lodge Blyde – In 1905 the Transvaal Gold Mining Estates (TGME) avail this building to the Freemasons to use as a lodge. When the Goldfields declined, and the diggers left. The Pilgrim’s Lodge moved to Lydenburg.
Town Hall
• Town Hall – Erected in circa 1900 and used as the St Mary’s Anglican Church Hall. Used as a school from 1903 to 1909. In 1911 the TGME bought it from the Anglican Church to be used as a Town Hall. From 1918 it was also used on weekends as the St Mary’s Hall bioscope.
Rose Cottage
• Rose Cottage – built circa 1897 as a residence for Johannes Maboompi De Beer. He had various business ventures in the town, one of which was supplying mining timber to the TGME. It was from this timber contract he got the nickname Maboompi. It was his aim to get Pilgrim’s Rest declared a town. One of his children, Johan de Beer planted the Jacaranda trees in the Main Street.
Halfway House
• Halfway House – Built as a residence in 1904 by Allan Mc Culloch wo rented the stand until 1911. It changed hands a few times. Paul Ahlers of the Central Garage rented the stand from 1924 until 1936. From 1936 to 1944 it was leased by Dr Theo Wassenaar, the District Surgeon. Presently used as an annex to the Royal Hotel. The original Halfway House was a canteen situated near the Pilgrim’s Creek in the 1870’s.
Old Print House
• Old Print House – Circa 1890 – Leased by George Roy, original owner of the Royal Hotel. In 1899 CT Rabie, an attorney rented the building as his offices. From 1913 it was used as a residence and the lease was registered to various owners. In 1965 it was rented by Violet Ashton until 1972.
Mona Cottage
• Mona Cottage – The original building dates circa 1907, first leased to Valentine Gardner, who was employed by the TGME, until 1912. From 1912 to 1914 it was used as Consulting Rooms by Dr Henry Hutchinson. It changed hands a few times. In 1929 it was sold to JA van Graan. In a letter from Van Graan to the TGME he refers to the house known as Mona Cottage. The house changed to various owners from 1931. The building was demolished in 1960 and reconstructed in 1997.
Pilgrim’s & Sabie News
Pilgrim’s & Sabie News - The first local newspaper was the ‘Gold News’. It was replaced by the Gold Fields Mercury and the editor was WJ Phelan. The next newspaper was the Pilgrim’s and Sabie News which relocated to this building in 1919. The paper was distributed from Pilgrim’s Rest from 1910 to the 1940’s. Paul Ahlers rented the building from 1928 to 1948. From 1948 to 1962 it was used as a storage. In 1973 it was leased by Sheila MacFarlane of Mrs Mac’s shop. Now the Printing Museum. Exhibits include printing machines and typewriters.------------------------Plaas photo gesiedens hier-------------------------
Iron Store
• Iron Store – The original Pilgrim’s and Sabie News was on this site which burned down in 1918. The present building was erected on this site as a storeroom for the Pilgrim’s Hotel. The original business known as the Iron Store was used in the 1870’s to sell groceries and mining equipment.
Pilgrim’s Hotel
• Pilgrim’s Hotel – circa 1894. Frederick Gibson, owner of the European Hotel (later named Pilgrim’s Hotel). In 1897 he sold the house and the hotel to WFPA Stein who sold both to Neil McIntyre in 1912. It changed hands a few times and in 1952 the lease was transferred to Walter Guest in 1952 and to his wife June Guest in 1957.
Royal Liquor Store
• Royal Liquor Store – The original building on this site was built circa 1904. Operated as an agent for the Zeederberg Coach Company until 1910. John Alcock then rented it as a store until 1919. In 1919 Gentile Beretta erected the present building. Beretta sold the building to Meyer Lewis in 1924. In 1946 Tana Feldman utilise the building as a nursery school, music rooms and watchmaker. In 1968 Tana leased the building to a company of June Guest who then opened the Royal Hotel Liquor Store until 1998. It then was unconnected to the Royal Hotel.
Mrs Mac’s Shop
• Mrs Mac’s Shop – circa 1890. A general dealer business until 1904. In 1906 it was divided in two sections, one half as a chemist and the other as the Royal Hotel Bottle Store. In 1946 the building was sold to Sheila MacFarlane, wife of Cameron MacFarlane (owner of the Royal Hotel from 1941 -1945. She was the first white baby born on the Pilgrim’s Rest Goldfields. Sheila owned the business, named Mrs Mac’s until the 1970’s.
Welcome Inn
• Welcome Inn – street to SAPS – An annex to the Royal hotel
• Squareface
• Squareface, side street to SAPS – Now an annex to the Royal hotel
Police Station
• Police Station – built in 1902. Still utilised as a police station.
• Magistrate’s Court
Royal Hotel
• Royal Hotel – Built by George Edward Roy in 1894. Said to have originated as a church in Lourenco Marques where it became too small for the congregation. Transported in sections and re-erected as a hotel. In 1913 Roy sold it to John McIntyre. McIntyre and John Alcock came to an agreement to each use halve the next-door empty stand. Mcintyre extended the hotel and Alcock his shop. The hotel changed hands. In 1941 the lease was registered to Sheila MacFarlane. In 1964 the property belonged to June Guest who owned the hotel until 1972. Housed the pub, the Red Hussar. The pub was originally the Roman Catholic chapel of the St Cyprian School in Cape Town.
Information Centre
• Information Centre – This centre display geology, photographs, maps and artefacts depicting the history of the gold-mining history of Pilgrim’s Rest.
Spotted Dog
• Spotted Dog – arts and crafts
Scott house
• Scott house – established 1895. Now Bourke & Co general dealer
Hus Museum
• Hus Museum – House Museum - This was the original residence of Dr W Secombe. It was built for him in 1913. He sold it to a lawyer Mr Blaine. Now used as a house museum, the decorations and furnishings are Victorian Style of the early 1900’s.
Bank Building & Bank House
• Bank Building & Bank House – Built in 1906. it includes the bank manager’s house in the back. After the ABW the bank changed to the National Bank of South Africa. In 1925 it amalgamated with two other banks to form Barclays Bank. In the 1980’s the name changed to First National Bank. It closed as a bank in 2007. The Bank Manager’s house at the back is now used as an annex to the Royal Hotel.
Victorian Cottage
• Victorian Cottage – Now the Victorian House museum. It exhibits late Victorian styles in décor and furnishings. Linoleum was used on the floors and numerous pictures and wall-hangings are typical of the period.
Cemetery
• Cemetery – The origin of the cemetery is closely connected to the legend of the Robber’s Grave. The legend is of an unknown man who was caught and convicted of tent robbery on the diggings and was banished. A few days after his trial the thief was spotted on the hill where he was shot and killed and buried where he fell. His grave lies north-south to brand him forever a thief. Shortly thereafter others were buried near this grave. No records were kept before 1911. The oldest marked grave was in June 1894.
Scott’s Café
• Scott’s Café – now a restaurant and home to Woodsluck distillery
Dredzen Store
• Dredzen Store – Now the Dredzen Shop & House museum. It represents the general dealer of the period 1930-1950. The home and lifestyle of WWII (1939-1945) era has been recreated in the store owner’s residence adjoining the shop to the back. At the period the general dealer stocked an array of goods.
Beretta’s
• Beretta’s – Mr G Beretta was a local building contractor in the 1920’s. Now a guest house
• Mountain View
• Mountain View
• Pophuis
• Pophuis
Roman Catholic Church
• Roman Catholic Church – Started as a wattle-and-daub structure. A George Thompson owned a wooden and corrugated iron residence on this stand in 1911. The house was owned by various people since then. In 1925 john Quinlan applied on behalf of the Catholic Community for a stand on which to erect a Catholic Church building. In 1928 the stand was transferred to the Lydenburg Vicariate and the church officially opened in 1929.
Residence
• Residence - The Church Mouse House – next to the Roman Catholic Church
• The Leather Shop
• The Leather Shop
Meyer Building
• Meyer Building proprietor Itzik Meyer, a General Dealer trading as Thandanani, selling local craft.
Clewer General Dealer and Butchery
• Clewer General Dealer and Butchery – established in 1920
Pilgrim’s Place
• Pilgrim’s Place – a General Dealer selling home-made food products.
Lopin's
• Lopin's – general dealer established 1904. Also known as The Daisy
The Vine Restaurant
• The Vine Restaurant – JT Reinders. On the corner is a cocopan of TGME (Transvaal Gold Mining Estates)
Kuzzulo’s Emporium
• Kuzzulo’s Emporium – established 1904. L Sammis & Co Merchants. A photographic studio selling antiques and collectables.
Belvedere Metal Craft
• Belvedere Metal Craft – an old cinema. Currently doing photos for tourist posing in olden days costumes.
Thelwall’s
• Thelwall’s – This was a Greengrocer shop run by Emerantia Thelwall from 1946 to the late 1950’s. Known as Thelwall’s Fruitshop. The building was demolished in the 1960’s and re-erected in 1995. Served as a Silver Smith, but was converted into a museum in 2011, earmarked to accommodate rotating exhibits.
Ponieskrantz Arts and crafts centre
• Ponieskrantz Arts and crafts centre. The name was derived from the farm Ponies Krantz on which the town was laid out.
Pilgrim’s Pantry
• Pilgrim’s Pantry - A coffee shop, Restaurant and pancakes
Highwayman’s Garage
• Highwayman’s Garage - In 1912 Tommy Dennison was in debt and attempted to rob the coach. He found only silver coins. He was arrested at the Royal Hotel while paying his debt. He served a five-year jail term. He then returned to Pilgrim’s Rest and opened the Highwayman’s Garage.
• The Nugget
• The Nugget
Jubilee’s Potters
• Jubilee’s Potters – The building dated 1920 Now served as a restaurant
Dutch Reformed Church
• Dutch Reformed Church – The cornerstone was laid on 29 March 1919 by Rev. GD Worst of Lydenburg.
Great Trek Centenary Monument
• Great Trek Centenary Monument - Commemorates the centenary in 1938 of the Great Trek. This Trek was represented by the Louis Trichardt trek. This marked the spot where they outspanned on 28 November 1838 in search for a route to the harbour in Lourenco Marques (Maputo)
Joubert Bridge
• Joubert Bridge – Spanning the Blyde River. The bridge was built under Act 201, passed by the Executive Council on 11 March 1886. The contractor was GB Giletti. Opened to traffic on 5 May 1897 by the Mine Commissioner of Pilgrim’s Rest, JS Joubert, in whose honour the bridge was named. Proclaimed a national monument on 2 August 1968.
Robbers Pass
• Robbers Pass – The coach to Machadodorp via Lydenburg ran twice a week. The Zeederburg Coach Company provided mule stations along the way. The coaches transported mail, passengers ang gold bullion from the mining company. Twice the coach was robbed at the summit of Pilgrim’s hill. The first robbery was in 1899 and the robbers escape with gold. They were never found. In 1912 Tommy Dennison was in debt and attempted to rob the coach. He found only silver coins. He was arrested at the Royal Hotel while paying his debt. He served a five-year jail term.
Jock of the Bushveld
• Jock of the Bushveld – this plaque commemorates the route of the dog Jock travelled in 1895. The dog belonged to Sir Percy Fitzpatrick whilst still a transport rider. The adventures were penned in the book, Jock of the Bushveld written by Percy Fitzpatrick.
