ARCHITECTURE
by Andre Bothma

Grahamstown’s architecture features exquisite examples of Victorian, Colonial and Gothic Revivalist building styles.
  The pinnacle of achievement in this field is undoubtedly the Anglican cathedral of St Michael and St George. Designed by Sir Gilbert Scott and his son John Oldfield Scott, the cathedral is a prime example of the Early English Gothic, the thirteenth century architectural style that was revived during Queen Victoria’s reign. Situated on the town square and completed in 1952, it replaced the much simpler Georgian parish church. It is also the only church on the continent boasting the ring of ten bells. Commemoration Church, a Gothic styled building on Church Square is famous for the wood etches and signatures left by generations of schoolboys who have attended compulsory church services. Other examples of the Gothic Revival style include Christ Church, St Patrick’s, St Aidan’s and St Bartholomew’s. Most of these buildings were erected during the middle of the nineteenth century and contribute to the unique atmosphere of the town.
  St Andrew’s Chapel in Somerset Street, one of Sir Herbert Baker’s creations, is exemplary of the Romanesque Church style and definitely worth visiting. William White Cooper, a local Grahamstown architect, was responsible for designing the buildings of Kingswood College, Victoria Girls, the Diocesan School for Girls and Fort England Hospital. The style employed is a merger of Victorian and Gothic Revival and is easily recognizable by the characteristic red brick inlay detail.
  The Drostdy Arch, separating the university grounds from High Street, was designed by Major C J Selwyn in 1835 and built by the Royal Engineers in 1841-1842. Today it houses two crafts shops. Framed in the gateway arch is the clock tower of Rhodes University’s main administration building, the latter being based on the design of Sir Herbert Baker and Francis Kendall. The Herbert Baker style became a hallmark of the university and has been retained in most subsequent building programs. The most recent architectural addition on campus, Eden Grove Student Bureau, is a modern interpretation of this style and complements the traditional colonial buildings of the campus centre.
  High Street running through the city centre, is one of the few remaining traditional High Streets in the country. It is divided by Church Square into Upper and Lower High Street. Ironically, Church Square in not in fact a square but a triangle. This is because the regimental officer’s tents were originally pitched parallel to and facing the officers’ mess, at an angle to Upper High Street. Church Square is the focal point of the surrounding Victorian and early Edwardian shop fronts.
  The small Settler cottages are another unique feature of Grahamstown architecture with most being declared national heritage sites. The oldest Settler cottage in High Street was originally the court messenger’s house. Several other such cottages can be seen in New and High Streets but most of the Settler cottages are situated on what was known as Settlers Hill, where one large erf (plot) was sub-divided into 128 erfs clustered around Artificers Square, at the intersection of Cross and Bartholomew Streets.
  At the other extreme in terms of architectural style are the stately villas in the suburb of West Hill. And there are some fine examples in Worcester Street of houses built in the Gothic and Baroque styles. The landscape on the eastern side of the city has recently changed with the development of the Reconstruction and Development Programme housing scheme sponsored by the state. Over four thousand core houses have been built in Makana area to date. These are given to first-time home owners.