Architectural, Cultural sights in Pretoria
- Sort by:
- Popular
-
A
Paul Kruger House Museum
A short walk west from Church Sq is the former residence of Paul Kruger, now the Paul Kruger House Museum. The house, built in 1884, would have been grand at the time, but today seems lost on the busy street. Guarded by two stone lions, the house contains period furniture and a random collection of personal knick-knacks belonging to Kruger and his wife Gezina, from which it’s hard to conjure up an image of their lives there. There are some interesting bits of memorabilia though, including the knife that Kruger used to amputate his thumb after a shooting accident. The Dutch Reformed Church, where he worshipped and preached, is just across the road.
reviewed
-
B
Melrose House
In 1886 a splendid mansion was built for George Heys opposite Burgers Park. Today Melrose House is a national monument, and an interesting blend of English Victorian and Cape Dutch styles.
During the 1899–1902 Anglo-Boer War, Lords Roberts and Kitchener (both British commanders) lived here. On 31 May 1902 the Treaty of Vereeniging, which marked the end of the war, was signed in the dining room. Highlights of the house include a grand billiard room with a vibrant stained-glass smoking nook and a conservatory containing a collection of political cartoons from the Anglo-Boer War.
reviewed
