Not only is the Old Gaol building in Somerset Street going to receive a bit of TLC in the near future, but this month it is going to become a centre to educate and encourage people about how to look after heritage sites all over the country.
Not only is the Old Gaol building in Somerset Street going to receive a bit of TLC in the near future, but this month it is going to become a centre to educate and encourage people about how to look after heritage sites all over the country.
On 7 May Arts and Culture Minister Paul Mashatile will be in Grahamstown to officially launch the South African Heritage Resource Agency (SAHRA) development course in Integrated Heritage Resources Management.
The course, to be taught in conjunction with Rhodes University, will support the development of heritage management and ensure that proper frameworks are in place to ensure the preservation of the country’s rich heritage and heritage sites.
The historical Old Goal will soon become the Centre for Training, Research and Education (CenTRE), “which will be used to teach participants of the course,” according to Thanduxolo Lungile, SAHRA's research, training and education manager.
Being over 200 years old, the gaol is the second oldest building in Grahamstown and has performed many functions in the city over the years. Despite its historical importance, the gaol has suffered decay as there had been no consistent restoration plans for it until recently.
The start of the course, however, will be a step in the direction of restoration for the building and the country’s heritage sector, which has been under pressure due to a lack of skills development and training. Students from local municipalities will be among the course participants – with the first intake expected to be 44.
“Once [the gaol]is restored it will yield opportunities for job creation and for Grahamstown people to get involved,” said Lungile.
More about the Old Gaol
The Old Grahamstown Prison, commonly known as the Old Gaol, has been around for over 200 years and stands as the second oldest building in the city.
Not only is it a national monument, but the Old Gaol is also regarded as an historical landmark for the Eastern Cape. Despite its grim beginnings, it underwent many changes over the decades, from housing the Monument National Council in the 1980s to becoming a popular destination for backpackers from all over the world until a couple of years ago.
Erected between 1814 and 1824, it was the second gaol in Grahamstown and was built to house more prisoners than the first one which is now the Yellow House restaurant and cocktail bar on High Street. Then-governor Lord Charles Somerset oversaw the construction of the gaol, along with Carl Pohl, Arnoldus Dietz and Boer leader Piet Retief.
During its prison days, it housed over 1 800 prisoners and later added a women’s section. The central part of the prison was known as the long term prison section and has remained unchanged in the past 150 years. The gaol was built in two sections separated by a courtyard and its walls built of plaster.
Yellowwood beams formed part of the roof construction, and clay was layered over the roof. This, roofing, however, failed and was replaced with thatch by Landdrost WB Dundas in 1825. The prison was divided into various sections: the north-eastern section was reserved for prisoners awaiting trial and had an upstairs section for women; the rear north-eastern section housed police cases; the south-eastern section kept military prisoners and above it was room for debtors.
It was only during the apartheid era that prisoners were split according to race. Until 1912 the gaol's courtyard was still used for executions and a black flag was flown on the days that these took place. Although executioners wore disguises, the gaol had famous executioners that went by names such as King, Blake and Witt.
And where there is a jail, there are always tales of escape. A total of three were recorded at the Old Grahamstown Prison. After escaping, one prisoner robbed municipal funds and then returned to the prison in order to form a strong alibi.
Records also detail the escape of two other men and an attempted escape by a woman. Other records by writers and former prisoners explain the harsh conditions of the gaol, from differences in meals for various prisoners, to hard labour in farms and on roads.
Later on, during apartheid, activists were also imprisoned at the gaol while awaiting transfers to larger facilities in Port Elizabeth and Pretoria. Significant prisoners held there include Chief Maqoma, a renowned Xhosa chief who was instrumental in the Xhosa wars – also known as the Cape Frontier wars – of 1779-1879.
The gaol’s walls may be etched with its history, but without much-needed attention and restoration the structure's existence is threatened. Recent restoration and preservation plans by the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SARHA) have given it a glimmer of hope though, and it is planned to soon open a training, research and education centre there.
Hopefully this will extend the building's life as a useful space in Grahamstown and help to keep its detailed history alive.
* Additional information provided by Fleur Way-Jones
