Moeder Kerk George
The Moeder Kerk George, also known as the Mother Church, was built between 1832 and 1842. The cornerstone was laid by Reverend Johan S.S. Ballot on 14 April 1832. Financial issues caused the church to take 12 years to be completed, and it was consecrated on 9 October 1842. Local craftsmen and enslaved workers produced over 1.8 million bricks and manually dug deep foundations. The style of the architecture reflects early Gothic influence. It has metre-thick walls and a 23-meter domed tower, which unfortunately collapsed in 1905, due to heavy rains. It was rebuilt a year later according to plans drawn by the architect Folkert Wilko Hesse. The original bell was damaged in the collapse, and in 1906, a new bell and clock were imported from London. The original bell was placed in the churchyard as a monument. Materials like yellowwood and stinkwood were used throughout the building, and the main entrance door was brought from Cape Town by ox-wagon. The church organ was consecrated only in 1879. It was only in 1919 that electric lights were introduced.
Vintage picture from Saartjie Klipkop
Courtenay St, Bodorp, George
