Page 159 - Bulletin 17 2013

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The van Blerk cottages were inherited by Nicolaas Johannes van Blerk in 1902. In 1898 he had

inherited the other buildings on that side of Belmont Road from the widow Johanna Christina
Cornelia Colyn (born Louw) to whom he was related by marriage. The seven units comprising

the row of van Blerk cottages were rented to fishing families and, as mentioned earlier, the Cape
Town City Council sent out a health inspector when two cases of enteric fever were reported

here in 1915. Virtually all of the van Blerk buildings in Belmont Road were found to be in poor
condition with inadequate sanitary arrangements and volumes of correspondence went back and

forth on this subject. In 1916 the plans of well-known architects Reid and Delbridge were

approved to convert the seven units into four. In 1929 the architect Fred Cherry designed the
more elaborate stoep on the top cottage at a cost of £250. It was at this time that the cottage was

named ‘Colvan’ (Colyn and van Blerk) and the van Blerk family lived at Colvan for many years.

(Figs. 3.38 - 3.42.)

The other buildings down Belmont Road were upgraded eventually to meet the Health
Department’s standards and in 1925 the shops on the Main Road housed Brownlee’s Tea Room

and Ladies’ Outfitters.

In 1928 Council was buying up strips of land to straighten the pavements and paid van Blerk £80

for the strip marked in front of his building. This plan was drawn for Nicolaas van Blerk by the
well known architect Fred Cherry who also drew the plans for what became Belmont Court.

(Figs. 3.43 & 3.44.)

In 1927 all of the Belmont Road properties were transferred from the Estate of Nicholas van

Blerk to his seven children. In 1928 permission was given to demolish the existing building
described as two shops with two rooms and kitchens behind. In its place Belmont Court was

planned to house a bank with garage and repair shop with three flats above and work began in
1928. The total cost was to be £6,800 – an enormous amount for the time. The hanger shaped

building at the back was built at this time and it once housed the workshop of the well-known

airman Billy Williamson. By 1930 the building was complete and the street directory that year
shows the Standard Bank had moved in with Williamson’s Garage (1940 Olympia Garage) next

door. It is believed that the building was also occupied at one time by the Boulevard Hotel.