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KEISKAMMAHOEK CONSERVATION IMPACT STUDY

Final report, November 1987

Franco Frescura

INTRODUCTION

This project was initiated in April 1983, when a representative of the New York-based firm, Fine Art Corporate Services (FACS) approached the Centre for Housing Research (CHORE), at the University of the Witwatersrand, was by a. They suggested that, in their opinion, no open air museum or, as they put it, culture park facilities, relevant to the economic realities of southern Africa had been developed in this country to date. FACS indicated that they specialized in this type of work and wished to initiate a project in the context of local rural culture. The Ciskei had been chosen as the probable siting of a prototypical scheme which, if successful, could act as a model for similar developments in other regions.

Initially CHORE expressed some considerable reservations in regard to the location of the project. Previous field research had shown the Ciskei to be an area stripped of all but the most vestigial remnants of its traditional material and architectural heritage. It was also a "homeland", an area set aside for sole Black residence as early as 1913 (Davenport and Hunt, 1974). Thus its government was not only inextricably linked to an Apartheid philosophy, inimical to civilized behaviour but, in more recent times, it had also become a dumping ground used by the South African government to forcibly resettle many of the Black residents of the Eastern Cape who had previously made their homes in so-called White areas. As a result some villages had become little better than rural slums where unemployment and starvation were endemic, a factor stressed by the Desmond study of 1969 which estimated that the residents of the Ciskei village of Mnxesha were subsisting on food rations valued at R2.30 per month (Desmond, 1969). The Herman/Windham study of 1985 also established that between 1970 and 1983 the infant mortality for the Transkei/Ciskei region was 130 per 1000 as against a figure of 22 for South African Whites as a whole. This meant that approximately one in every five infants born in the region would die before they reached the age of five (Herman and Windham, 1985).

After prolonged discussions with both colleagues and community leaders, it was decided to undertake this brief, with the following provisos:

that the project be orientated towards economic development and the generation of job opportunities in the region.
that the tourist component become incidental to the provision of a wider educational facility to also be used by the residents of the region themselves.
that the resultant buildings fall within the cultural parameters and economic realities of the region.
that contact with officials of the Ciskei Regional Authority be kept to the necessary minimum.

Such a project also promised to break new ground in the field of museum development in southern Africa and its planning, and radically depart from similar schemes elsewhere in the country (Frescura, 1986). Understandably these proposals did not meet with the wholehearted support of the museum establishment in the eastern Cape. Brian Wilmot, Director of the Albany Museum in Grahamstown, slated them as being eurocentric. He also proceeded to recouch them in his own terminology and put himself forward as consultant for the project (Ciskei Tourist Board, 1985).

Manton Hirst, Anthropological Curator of the Kaffrarian Museum in King William's Town was somewhat more vitriolic in his comments, describing the First Interim Report to be "as articulate as that of a rattlesnake" (pers comm, 17 February 1984). Despite such opposition (and mixed metaphors!) the Ciskei Directorate of Planning supported the initial concepts (Frescura, 1984) and commissioned the work to proceed. However even at this early stage it became apparent to all concerned with the project that its economic viability would depend largely upon its siting and relation to potential markets. Dr David Bridgeman, Presidential Economic Advisor, also expressed some misgivings at its feasibility should it be located in a rural area and suggested that the possibility of linking the development to an established urban infrastructure should be closely examined (Memorandum from Dr DHM Bridgeman to Mr R Louw, FACS, 14 February 1984).

Following the initial feasibility study extensive consideration was given to the potential siting of the project. Although the concept of an ideal site had been developed at an early stage, this was modified in terms of Bridgeman's comments and a number of urban areas were also included in the survey. Finally a short list of ten potential locations was drawn up. These were:

Whittlesea village centre
Thaba Ka Ndoda, on the road between Dimbaza and Keiskammahoek
Keiskammahoek, on the hillside overshadowing the town
Keiskammahoek village centre
Keiskammahoek, on the road north to St Mathews
Outside King William's Town, on the road to Bisho
Road between King William's Town and Peddie
Peddie village centre
Coastal road, near Hamburg
Coastal road, nearing Port Alfred

These were assessed according to a number of criteria including educational, economic and tourist potential. As a result it was found that, although the King William's Town-Bisho site presented the best commercial and tourist potential, this gave rise to problems of over-centralisation in the Bisho district. Keiskammahoek, on the other hand served a large rural community with extensive unemployment problems, was endowed with a service infrastructure, badly needed additional educational facilities and thus offered the best potential for new economic development.

At this stage the Ciskei Directorate of Planning offered FACS a site south of Keiskammahoek on a hillside overlooking the village. At the same time the Ciskei Tourist and Holiday Trust (not to be confused with the Ciskei National Tourist Office, or CINTO) commissioned CHORE to conduct a conservation impact study of Keiskammahoek in order to assess its historical and cultural value to local tourism. This was undertaken in conjunction with Dr (now Professor) Dennis Radford of the Department of Architecture, University of the Witwatersrand. The results of this report, which have been included in this study, indicated that not only was Keiskammahoek a settlement of considerable historical importance, but that its growth was the result of a number of cultural inputs, Khoikhoi, Xhosa, Mfengu, British and German. It was the focal point of a large rural community, it had an established infrastructure, a resident managerial component and a small but expandable light industrial centre. It was also possessed of a number of historically important but underused buildings. The report recommended that the objectives of cultural preservation, economic growth and architectural conservation could best be met by interweaving the functions of the project into the existing social fabric of the village (Frescura and Radford, 1984).

Although the Frescura/Radford findings were accepted by FACS and the Ciskei's Directorate of Planning incorporated them into their long-term development plans for the region (Ciskei Directorate of Planning, 1984), responsibility for the planning of a Ciskei Cultural Centre was handed over to the Ciskei National Tourist Office (CINTO). This body, which had been reconstituted three times since the inception of this project, barely eighteen months previously, met with representatives of FACS, CHORE and the Albany Museum in February 1985. At that meeting it proposed to continue with the development of a Cultural Museum but, at the instigation of the Albany Museum, decided to locate it at Thaba ka Ndoda. Although this site had previously been assessed by this study to be unfeasible in almost every single aspect relevant to a policy of economic development, CINTO was guided in its choice by a concern to reinforce facilities already existing at the site which, since their construction in 1981, had proved to be economically unworkable and singularly unpopular with the people of the Ciskei. It is also relevant to note that at that time CINTO's Board consisted of thirteen white and three black members. As the direct result of this decision, CHORE found its position in this project to be untenable and withdrew from the project. It is believed that FACS followed suit soon afterwards for similar reasons.

The final chapter of this research saga was written in April and May 1985 when 59 architectural students from the University of Port Elizabeth descended upon Keiskammahoek and measured up 39 structures considered to be of major architectural and historical importance. This was not done out of any sense of altruism but rather in the knowledge that most of these buildings were in the process of being lost through neglect and vandalism and should be recorded for the sake of future generations.

The value of this report will therefore be perceived to lie in two major areas. Firstly it is the record of an attempt to break down many of the cultural barriers and eurocentric prejudices which surround museum practices in this country. The concept of culture as a generator of economic activity cannot be overlooked in a region where current neo-colonial attitudes dictate that the values of the former should be sacrificed for the expedience of the latter. The fallacy of such an argument has been known in Europe for many years and is now slowly being discovered in North America where the financial opportunities created by historical built environments are becoming an important component of local and national economies.

Secondly this report is the record of a small village created by military and missionary, by capitalist traders and colonial officials, by emigre British and German settlers, in a region dominated by Xhosa, Mfengu and Khoikhoi groups. The result is a curious mix of all of these cultures, each informing the other, creating an architecture which is both colonial and yet modest enough to fall within the economic realities of the region. Since the onset of Ciskei independence in 1981 most of the buildings in Keiskammahoek have passed into the ownership of the Ciskei regional authority who has let them, largely to civil servants. As the result the village buildings are undergoing extensive changes almost daily. Sash windows are being replaced with steel units, fretted timber fascias with asbestos panels and yellowwood floors with cement screed. However, before the conservative-minded reader passes judgment upon the new owners, let him remember that the plunder of Keiskammahoek was begun by its original White inhabitants before they left in 1981. The library's stock of books was distributed out among the locals, the hotel's antique collection sold to yuppie socialites from Cape Town and Johannesburg, the gravestones plundered by curio hunters and the cast-iron trims removed to King William's Town. The only reason why the military sabers remain atop the village hall and HMS Thunderer's cannon kept its place before the village school is because the former were found to be fakes and the latter proved too heavy to be moved.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Numerous people have assisted in this project and the production of its report. Foremost amongst them was Professor Dennis Radford who, as colleague and friend, contributed much valuable advice and took part in the early stages of conservation research. Beverley Peters, Clerk of Keiskammahoek, made available to us the village's archives, extended welcome hospitality and provided much local information. More recently the Historical Curator of the Kaffrarian Museum, Denver Webb, has permitted use of personal research data and has conducted a number of field interviews on my behalf. The measured survey of the buildings of Keiskammahoek was made by architectural students of the University of Port Elizabeth. Their individual contributions are acknowledged in the text where appropriate. Lesley-Anne Morton typed her fingers to the bone and gave much welcome support. My grateful thanks go to all of them.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

CISKEI TOURIST BOARD. 1985. Minutes for 21 February 1985, Bisho.
CISKEI DIRECTORATE OF PLANNING. 1984. A Suggested Five-Year Development Plan for Tourism in the Ciskei. Bisho.
DAVENPORT, TRH, and HUNT, KS. 1974. The Right to the Land. Cape Town: David Philip.
DESMOND, Cosmos. 1969. The Discarded People. Johannesburg: Christian Institute.
HERMAN, A. and WINDHAM, CH. 1985. Changes in Infant Mortality Rates of Whites, Coloured and Urban Blacks in South Africa over the period 1970-1983. Unpublished paper, SA Medical Research Council, Johannesburg.
FRESCURA, Franco. 1984. Keiskammahoek Craft Centre: First Interim Report. Johannesburg: CHORE, University of the Witwatersrand.
1986. Monkeys in a Cage: The Dilemma of Open Air Museums in South Africa. Port Elizabeth: Institute of South African Architects.
FRESCURA, Franco and RADFORD, Dennis. 1984. Keiskammahoek Conservation Impact Study: First Interim Report. Johannesburg: CHORE, University of the Witwatersrand.

PUBLICATION DATA

Published by the Department of Architecture, University of Port Elizabeth, PO Box 1600, Port Elizabeth, 6000 Republic of South Africa.

ISBN 0 86988 337 2. Copyright Franco Frescura, 1987. Copyright of individual drawings is vested with the artists concerned.

APPENDIX B

KEISKAMMAHOEK CONSERVATION IMPACT STUDY

FIRST PRELIMINARY REPORT

Franco Frescura and Dennis Radford

INTRODUCTION

This survey was instigated by the Ciskei Tourist Corporation and was made possible by a generous personal financial contribution by Mr John Bridgeman. It was undertaken by two members of the Department of Architecture of the University of the Witwatersrand, Dr Dennis Radford and Franco Frescura, who visited Keiskammahoek for the period 19-21 June 1984 with a view to identifying buildings and sites of architectural and historical importance.

In conducting their survey, they identified these elements and noted in what way they form groups. Certain problems were discerned but the potential of the village is seen to outweigh these. However, some problems of a larger scale will also need to be tackled if this potential is to be fully exploited with justice for all. Informal interviews were also held with various public officials and prominent members of the community. Finally, this report ends with a series of immediate recommendations.

METHODOLOGY OF SURVEY

The team inspected each building within the settlement, including other places of interest, such as the cemetery. An initial assessment of every building was made.
Those identified as being of architectural/historical value were recorded on a standard form of which two samples are attached as an appendix. As can be seen from these, information regarding the building's condition, age and potential are recorded so as to inform the assessment process.
Every building was photographed for record purposes.
A simple grading system was adopted. This contains two categories: two star, for important buildings in good condition; one star, for less important buildings or those in bad condition.
Potential groups were also plotted on a base map.

BUILDINGS OF ARCHITECTURAL AND HISTORICAL VALUE

Of a total of 125 buildings in the village, 48 were identified as being of either architectural or historical merit. 18 were provisionally classed as two-star while the remaining 30 were placed in the one star category. This means that over one third of the building stock is worthy of preservation and restoration, a high proportion. (See Map One).
Most of these buildings line the main street, forming a group with a distinct character. A further group was identified around the old mill. (See Map Two).
A very broad range of building types was noted including seven churches, a library, a hotel, shops and a village hall, but the minority were single storied houses ranging from a small pioneer cottage to substantial villas. In age too these varied from late 19th century through to the 1920s. Thus a broad representative historic spectrum is available within the village.

PROBLEMS WITH THE EXISTING FABRIC

Some buildings, notably the churches, library and village hall, appear to be disused or underused. New compatible uses will have to be found.
Other buildings are suffering from structural decay, verandahs are falling apart, and decorative trim is rotting away.
Yet other buildings have been inappropriately altered or have unsympathetic additions. (See Map Three).

POTENTIAL FOR CONSERVATION

Although almost all of the classified buildings will require some form of restoration, in the main this need not be unduly expensive as most of the buildings are relatively small.
Attention should also be paid to the restoration of a building's context, that is to say, of their garden walls, trees and planting.
As most of the buildings are domestic, a re-housing policy with some form of control should ensure that they continue to serve a social purpose. The potential of the larger buildings such as the hall, library and the churches, should be investigated. Some could serve as specialist museums, while others would make good craft centres.
The remains of the Old Fort would make an excellent museum of local military history.
The old cemetery could, with minimum restoration, become a tourist attraction.
The old village hall could serve as a local history museum.
The old farmhouse next to the Nettleton Bridge would make an excellent open-air farm museum.
The present hotel could be restored and upgraded to serve as a tourist base.
The old mill plus the sheds around it could extend its present function as a manufacturer of yellowwood furniture, and thus serve as yet another attraction.
The upgrading and restoration of the rest of the village along the line of the Main Street would provide a charming context for the above.
All of the above are either already viable or would require only a relatively modest outlay to be presentable. Most are in the possession of the Ciskei Government.

BUILDINGS OF INTEREST IN KEISKAMMAHOEK

The Old Fort. Although it is much altered, the Old Fort retains much of its character. Originally part of the extensive military camp at Keiskammahoek, the present building is believed to have flanked the tall central tower that dominated and defended the smaller buildings around it. Latterly it served as a jail but now is disused and neglected. As it stands a modest programme of restoration would put it back into good condition. In addition it is of an ideal size and configuration to serve as a museum of local military history.

Ballantines Mill is a large historic range of buildings which originally formed the nucleus of a thriving wagon making business. Furniture made from the local indigenous woods is still manufactured here but, according to the owner, production is limited by the lack of a tarred road. The buildings, with their gables and belfry, form a striking landmark in the village. Like the fort, not much restoration appears to be necessary. In the report it is envisaged that their present use be expanded and that they act as the center of a craft orientated light industrial area.

NON-HISTORICAL OR IRRELEVANT BUILDINGS

These can be classified into two groups. The first group is made up of those situated away from the historic core and therefore outside the concern of this report. The second group consists of those within the core which will need some form of architectural treatment to bring them into sympathy with the older buildings. The garage on the Main Street is an example of this. Again this need not be very expensive to achieve.

LANDSCAPING

The existing landscaping, principally the lines of trees along the roads, add considerably to the character of the village. This should be preserved and extended. The water courses should also be preserved and maintained. New landscaping should be undertaken to enhance any new buildings.

LARGER CONCERNS

Keiskammahoek is beautifully situated in attractive natural surroundings. It has enormous potential as an overnight stop for foreign tourists. It is envisaged that these tourists could be included in a greater Eastern Province and Ciskei tour package which could be added to the present popular Garden Route tour. The tour would begin in Port Elizabeth and end in East London. A very rich itinerary could be arranged.

However, a tarred link with the King William's Town-Alice road is a necessity if this route is to be used by coaches. This need not, and in fact should not, be too elaborate a road: a "touch of Africa" would add some excitement to arrival in the village.

The whole question of the future development of the village as a growth point needs to be carefully studied, as any large unsympathetic developments could easily destroy its character and thus nullify any restoration work done. Quantities of small thoughtless changes would also negatively affect its character.

The socio-economic implications of a restoration programme needs examination so that its benefits can be shared out among the local population in the greatest degree. Consideration should be given to training teams of local building craftsmen to undertake the restoration, thus upgrading skills and building up expertise.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The village of Keiskammahoek has a rich architectural and historical heritage which is virtually unknown. Its potential for tourism should be recognised.
A programme of restoration and preservation should be embarked upon as soon as possible.
To further this programme, a more detailed inspection of each building identified in this survey should be undertaken, principally for budget purposes.
The town and its environment should be declared a special area so that all decisions regarding its fabric will be made by a co-ordinating body.
A more comprehensive study should be commissioned to investigate the socio-economic implications and possibilities of the restoration programme. A major element of such a brief must be the investigation and formulation of future land use strategies for the village as a whole. In view of the various activities which may possibly in future centre upon this area. This would be paramount in order to provide the various bodies with a larger strategy within which a number of different activities could be facilitated.

APPENDIX B

KEISKAMMAHOEK CRAFT CENTRE

FIRST PRELIMINARY REPORT

Franco Frescura

HISTORY OF THE PROJECT

At its onset this project envisaged a series of buildings of an educational and cultural nature set in a semi-rural park-like environment. It was intended that the planning of the site and the architectural forms achieved would have set out to evoke the spirit of traditional Xhosa architecture whilst not necessarily employing the same building technologies.

The concept was then extended in an attempt to make such a centre economically viable and even self-reliant. This included such activities as craft manufacture and marketing, social and entertainment areas and a strong tourist potential. A number of possible sites were surveyed throughout the Ciskei and ultimately the conclusion was arrived at that the success of such a venture would depend largely upon its relationship to population areas and arterial routes. In consequence focus was then concentrated upon the Keiskammahoek region as a desirable location for such development.

It must be mentioned that throughout these initial stages, thinking has been supported by a strong underlay of social concern. The developmental, self-help, job creation and educational potential of this project has been an area of primary interest. Finally the idea of including residential facilities within the project was mooted. This brought the concept of such a centre out of its original, and possibly too idyllic, context and has set it firmly in or near an urban area where an existing service infrastructure could be extended to include these additional facilities. At this stage it was decided that the planning of the project should also take into consideration the present facilities and future potential of Keiskammahoek itself. This report therefore concentrates upon the feasibility of the development of Keiskammahoek and its relationship to this project.

SITE ANALYSIS: THE OFFERED SITE

A site immediately south of the village of Keiskammahoek on the opposite side of the river has been suggested for possible development. This was investigated and found to be unsuitable in a number of respects. These included:

Its steep slope, in some parts being as high as 1:3 and in many others being only a fractionally better 1:4. This was not only unsuitable to the design envisaged but it also militated against the limited budget set aside for the project.
The location of the site in respect to the village is visually dramatic but it is also potentially detrimental to any future development in Keiskammahoek itself. It is set aside from and before it and does not encourage through traffic and occasional shopping from potential visitors.
The access link between village and centre is tenuous and achieved only via a roundabout road route too long for most pedestrians and hence requiring the use of private vehicles. The only alternative is the construction of a long and relatively expensive pedestrian bridge over the Keiskamma River and its not inconsiderable flood plain. The subsequent climb up to the Centre might also prove a deterrent to some potential visitors.

It would therefore not be incorrect to state that this site would offer both the Centre and the village a close physical proximity without either deriving the full benefit of each other's presence.

PROPOSALS FOR ALTERNATIVE SITES

During the course of the Conservation Survey, there was a growing awareness that any project which sought to stimulate and complement economic development within the village should not be located outside of it but should ideally be interwoven within its physical and social fabric. This would have a number of advantages:

The project would not stand outside and independent of events in the village but would become part of its everyday existence and economic life.
It would be easily accessible to visitors and locals alike.
It would make full use of an existing service reticulation and human infrastructure without these requiring expensive extension.
It would provide a source of local employment.
The presence of a tourist-orientated draw-card would provide the impetus for other fringe economic activities.
The fragmentation of the project functions would allow potentially unfeasible or unsuccessful elements to be identified more rapidly thus allowing for immediate remedial action to be taken.
The same fragmentation would allow a more extensive and imaginative use of existing vacant or under-utilised facilities within the village.
The presence of certain facilities within the village would make the restoration of its historic architectural character a more attractive economic proposition, thus becoming a potential tourist draw-card in its own right.
The use of existing structures within the village for such functions as craft manufacture, craft marketing and cultural activities would free some of the budget for other and possibly more pressing uses such as the preservation of some of the more threatened domestic structures.

PROPOSALS FOR SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS AND USES

It is proposed to create various areas of historical interest in some of the larger and under-utilised public buildings. These include:
a restored pioneer cottage
a missionary museum
a military museum, the site for which is self-evident
a local history museum
an agricultural museum
The creation of a central village or civic space in the area immediately south of the existing Post Office and bus stops. A new local government and service centre, sympathetically designed, could be located here as well as a popular, informal sector marketing facility.
The establishment of various craft centres about the village. Marketing of their products could be done either internally or through shops located on the main strip, which the Conservation Study has recommended for special development.
Further to this, but outside the area of the initial brief, is the establishment of a small light industrial area centering upon the existing furniture factory and related buildings. It is necessary to add at this point that the development of a tar road link between Keiskammahoek and King William's Town will be necessary not only to promote tourist access but also if the village is to retain the small light industrial component it already has. Fortunately the existing gravel road is in good condition and does not appear to necessitate the construction of any major bridges and roadworks.
The new educational/cultural facility could be located between the cemetery and the school. The open air architectural museum could then be located on the other side of the road to its west.

CONCLUSIONS

The above points deal only with those issues which arise directly out of the original project brief itself. A number of other ideas however have also come out of the Conservation Study and therefore this report should be read in conjunction with it.

It is however necessary to point out that, should the wider implications of this report be accepted, then it would be shortsighted to omit any project component within Keiskammahoek itself out of a broad architectural brief. The historical revalidation of the village should be considered within a larger social and economic as well as environmental context and lack of co-ordination in one area could jeopardise the success of others.

POSTSCRIPT

This report has never been made available for public consumption. Today the survey is dated and largely irrelevant, except, perhaps, as a historical text. Its drawings, however, detailed by students of architecture, at the University of Port Elizabeth (as it was then known), document an architectural heritage which has long since disappeared, and thus warrants publication. Interested readers may also quote the following reports:

FRESCURA, Franco and RADFORD, Dennis. 1984. Keiskammahoek Conservation Impact Study. Johannesburg: Department of Architecture, University of the Witwatersrand.
FRESCURA, Franco. 1984. Qobo Qobo: A Cultural Centre. Johannesburg: Centre for Housing Research, University of the Witwatersrand.