Page 161 - Bulletin 22 2019

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Louis Ladan houses – Harris Road

Erinville (then called Illovo) and Courthope, Erven 89954 (now 902770) and 89953.

These two houses did not form part of James Harris’ early scheme. The land they stand on was
vacant and passed through several hands before being bought from the insolvent Auret estate by

James Harris two months before his death in 1911. In 1920 they formed part of a purchase of
several lots by Louis Ladan. (Fig. 3.55.) He built these two houses along with several in Ladan

Road. The similarity in the design of Erinville and Courthope with houses in Ladan Road can

clearly be seen in the signature stoep arches, some of which have since been glazed in. (Figs.
3.56 – 3.58.)

The total cost of the five houses on this plan was £7,500. In the event, only four were built.

Erinville or Illovo (20 Harris Road) as it was later known was bought by Frances ‘Fanny’
Henson (b Behr) in 1942 and when she died in 1951 it was inherited by the Henson and Hugo

families when it was valued at £2,150. It is interesting to see how much higher property values

were in this part of Kalk Bay and how values had increased. In 1924 the rateable value of the
property was £1,230 while a similar sized property in Windsor or Belmont Road was about £350.

Courthope (22 Harris Road) was bought in 1922 as a new build by William James Henry Butler,
a carpenter with SAR & H. His wife Sarah died in 1948 and he died at Valkenberg Hospital in

1952 aged 85. The couple had no children but a foster daughter, Maud Grace Beatrix Dunn, had

married Sidney Hermon O’Neill and the house was left to her in terms of the Will.

The property on erf 89952 was originally numbered 24 Harris Road and was a double storey

block of flats called Hilted. It is now numbered 1 Ladan Road and known as Theresa’s.

The last erf in Harris Road – 89951 – was bought from Alfred Williams by Thomas Edward
Marsh in 1921. When he died in 1936 it was transferred to his wife Jane and was given as a gift