That Wakkerstroom was settled at all is due for the most part because of the Dutch Reformed Church. In the 1830’s Voortrekker families trekked North from the Cape and by 1852, when the ZAR was pronounced some families had already settled in the Highveld. The area however, was sparsely populated, and Potchefstroom was the nearest town, 350 kilometres away.
The district of Potchefstroom was very big and ministering the new settlers was extremely difficult due to long distances on horseback or by ox wagon. So, it was in 1859 that Reverend Dirk van der Hoff raised the issue of lack of ministry to Marthinus Wessel Pretorius, who was the ZAR President at the time.
Dirk Cornelius Uys, nicknamed Swart Dirk Uys, was sent to find a suitable place to establish a new town and subsequently a new church was to follow. A valley between rivers and mountains was found to be suitable and, on the 6th of November 1889, Marthinus Wesselstroom, now known as Wakkerstroom, was proclaimed a town. The town was initially laid out by Swart Dirk Uys in 1859 in erven of 150 x 50 yards. The ZAR donated six erven, which is 300 by 150 yards, to the church and this was known as Church Square. This was where the church was built.
A baptismal register shows records of baptisms held in October and November of 1860 which were officiated by Ds Dirk van der Hoff. The first Minute Book records a meeting held on the 15th April 1861, and this date can be seen as the founding date of the church. The Minute Book is held in the Dutch Reformed Church Archives in Stellenbosch.
From 1861 to 1874 services were held on an irregular basis by itinerant ministers. It was only in 1874 that a suitable minister was found and in November 1874 D Daniel Petrus Ackerman took up residence. He was to serve the community for 41 years.
The first ‘church’ was completed in 1863, and was a barn-like structure with low walls and a thatched roof known as die rietkerkie. It was tucked away in a corner of the church premises as the donated land was only officially transferred to the Dutch Reformed Church on the 2nd July 1888. In 1879 the height of the walls was raised by three feet and the thatched roof was replaced by corrugated iron. A thanksgiving service was held on the 3rd of July 1880. Six months later the church became the headquarters of the British troops during the Siege of Wakkerstroom from 1880 to 1881.
On the 4th April 1887 a decision was taken to build a new church as the district and congregation were expanding rapidly. The existing church became too small so separate services were held for men and women. The appointed contractor was Mr Antonie Klute who was also the builder of the Kruger Bridge in Wakkerstroom. Jack Hindon, also known as Jack Dynamite, worked as a stonemason on the project. The cornerstone was laid by General Piet Joubert on the 27th October 1888. Various documents, newspapers, and coinage of the day were buried under the cornerstone. The inauguration took place on the 25th December 1891. Hundreds of ox wagons accommodated churchgoers who camped on the church grounds. Communion was held and 50 children were baptized. Dignitaries that were in attendance were the former president MW Pretorius and General PJ Joubert, and the Vierkleur was hoisted.
Some statistics regarding the building of the church:
- The estimated cost was thirteen thousand and four hundred pounds
- The foundations are approximately two metres deep
- The width (thickness) of the walls is 73cm
- Height of the walls is 7.8 metres
- The total height of the tower and weather vane is 30.2 metres
- 1274 cubic metres of sandstone was used
- The total distance travelled between the local quarry and the church during construction was 5 100 kilometres
Architectural detail:
- The church is Gothic in style
- It has a cruciform outlay
- The roof is double-pitched
- The bell tower is situated over the narthex (foyer)
- Lancet, or pointed arch windows, have stained glass in places
- Walls are of a dressed sandstone
- Walls are buttressed and have blind windows in some places
Other interesting statistics:
- The width of the roads around the church grounds were determined by the turning circle of the ox wagons
- For Communion weekends it was a matter of uitspan on the church grounds with the ox wagons. Over the years so-called town houses sprang up, for use during these times, and some of them became permanent houses
- Between 1891 and 1991 4654 baptisms and 2902 confirmations were recorded.
Lighting in the church was initially provided by oil lamps, and in 1927 electrical lights were installed. These were powered by a 110-volt battery. Eskom power was obtained in 1939.
In 1944 it was decided that extensive alterations and renovations to the exterior and interior were to be undertaken, and this is now known as ‘the tragic renewal’. During alterations services were held in the Church Hall and Communion services took place in the Town Hall.
The entire interior was stripped of its original woodwork including the pulpit. The wooden galleries were removed, the wooden floors were replaced with Parquet flooring, and the pews were removed and replaced with kiaat ones. (The original pews were donated to the Mission Church and can still be seen there.) The seating arrangement was remodelled to a semi-circular configuration. Fluorescent lighting was installed. This is not a complete list of changes that were done to the interior of the church.
The corrugated iron roof was replaced with tiles and the pitched roofs over the vestibules were replaced with flat ones. The tower shape and height were adjusted. Finials and ridge cresting of the roof were removed. This is also not a complete list of changes that were made to the exterior of the church.
Work for these changes was undertaken by the architect firm of Geers and Geers. The initial cost was estimated to be R14,000.00 but ended up being R37,544.00, and the debt was paid off over years.
The inauguration of the ‘new’ church was in October 1946. Because of the radical and drastic changes that were made the church has been denied National Monument status.
The old church was initially used as a church hall but when it deteriorated the youth of the church demolished it, and erected a new structure using the footprint of the original. It was known as De Jongelingen Saal, and was completed in 1909 and is currently in use as the Church Hall.
References
Church publication: Wakkerstroom NG Kerk: 150 jaar van God se genade; NG Kerk, Wakkerstroom 1861-2011
Church publication: Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk Wakkerstroom 1891-1991
Hofmeyer, J.W. (2009). Wakkerstroom, Jewel of Mpumalanga ISBN 978-1-920140-07-6
Mason, N. Roundabout History of Wakkerstroom; proposed title of unpublished manuscript
Smit, CA (snr). (2008). Chris Smit se Storie; University of Pretoria;
Wakkerstroom, a Conservation Study; University of Natal 19195 ISNB 1-86840-154-5
GPS coordinates: 27.36̊ North degrees; 30.14̊ East degrees
