Cuyler Manor (
SAHRA 9/2/095/0017), or Cuyler House, is a historic house museum in the
Western Region of the
Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha.
The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in ...
province of
South Africa. Cuyler Manor was designated as a Provincial Heritage Site on March 14, 1980.
In addition to the farm house, the visitor house, coach house, wagon house, and mill house are protected historic sites,
all located between the
Swartkops River
Swartkops River, also Zwartskop River, (Afrikaans: ''black hills'') is a watercourse in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The source of the Swartkops is near Cockscombe Mountain, and it flows east into the Algoa Bay of the Indian Ocean ...
and a
South African Railways facility.
Colonel
Jacob Glen Cuyler, ''
landdrost'' of the area then known as Uitenhage, acquired the homestead, originally called Doom Kraal, in 1814 from Johannes Booyse for 1000
rixdollars. Cuyler retired to the Manor in 1827, "after the system of Landdrost was abolished."
The buildings, constructed using slave labor,
are predominantly in the
Cape Dutch style.
The homestead remained in the Cuyler family until 1966, when it was purchased and restored by the local government.
Museum staff periodically offer "demonstrations of traditional activities such as
soap and
candle making,
baking
Baking is a method of preparing food that uses dry heat, typically in an oven, but can also be done in hot ashes, or on hot stones. The most common baked item is bread but many other types of foods can be baked. Heat is gradually transferred " ...
, and
weaving." The museum grounds include an herb garden and farm animals including
Angora goats used to teach visitors about textile history.
References
External links
*
* {{YouTube, itHRPcUA0Eg, Cuyler Manor Museum
Historic house museums in South Africa
History of Eastern Cape