Church Street

The double-storey sandstone (painted) building on the corner opposite P V’s, forms part of an attractive streetscape running up to the magnificent Standard Bank building. This row of Victorian-era commercial properties dates from a time when Church Street was a hive of business activity inclusive of the local post office, police station, magistrate’s court, Bowles Bros printing works, the Oudtshoorn Courant, Subersky’s furniture factory and numerous offices and rooms for doctors, journalists and lawyers, such as those of Adv C J Langenhoven.

The Standard Bank building was designed by Charles Bullock while W H Pickard was contracted to oversee the construction. In 1904 the doors were opened to the public and the bank joined the ranks of numerous other financial establishments which catered to the needs of wealthy merchants, farmers and the ever-growing number of “nouveau-riche” towns-people.

On the strategic corner of Church and Baron van Reede (then Queen) Streets, Kenner & Co, importers and exporters of almost every conceivable item, plied their trade successfully. They were supported by their London office and were the first to introduce motor-cars to the district. The Napier and Chalmers cars had been specially built for South African conditions.