Langlaagte Orphanage Girls' Hostel details
Langlaagte Orphanage Girls' Hostel
KALLENBACH and REYNOLDS: Architect
Omstreeks 1906 was die plan deur Kallenbach en Reynolds vir die nuwe meisieskoshuis van die Langlaagte-weeshuis reeds geruime tyd gemaak. Die ontwerp was vir 'n gebou wat 150 meisies sou kon huisves. Dit sou 150 voet (45.7 meter) lank en 75 (23 meter) breed wees, uit twee verdiepings bestaan en £11 000 kos. Ds. Abraham Kriel was nie van plan om meer as £4 500 aan die gebou te bestee nie. Kallenbach het verklaar dat hy daarvoor geen kans sien nie, maar hy was gewillig om sy vergoeding te ontvang volgens die kontant-uitgawe aan die gebou. Die werk is nie aan 'n kontrakteur toevertrou nie, maar werkslui is daarvoor aangestel, onder toesig van J. Overbeek, die weeshuis se timmerman. Twee hoekstene vir dié gebou is op 4 September 1907 gelê deur mev. genl. Piet Joubert en ds. H.S. Bosman onderskeidelik. Die naam Talita Kumi is aan die gebou gegee.
By voltooiing het ds. Kriel aan die argitek meegedeel die boukoste was £4 550 13s. 10d. Kallenbach het uitgeroep: "That's a miracle!" Alles is gebou ooreenkomstig die argitek se plan tot in die fynste besonderhede. Op die dag van die gebou se opening was daar 'n groot skare teenwoordig. Kallenbach het die sleutel aan ds. Kriel oorhandig en 'n kort toespraak gelewer. Onder meer hy gesê: "Toe ds. Kriel dit verklaar het dat hy nie wou bou vir die som deur ons genoem nie, en dat hy self die werk in hande sou neem, het ek dit ten sterkste afgekeur, aangesien dit meer werk en verantwoordelikheid op ds. Kriel se skouers en op dié van die argitekte sou werp. Maar ons het hom tog ondersteun omdat ons geweet het wat hy vir die inrigting oor het."
(Morné van Rooyen)
Round about 1906 the plans by Kallenbach and Reynolds for the new girls' hostel at the Langlaagte Orphanage had already been designed. The design was for a building that could house 150 girls. It was to be 150 feet (45.7 metre) long and 75 (23 metre) wide comprising two storeys and costing £11 000. Rev. Abraham Kriel was not prepared to spend more than £4 500 on the building. Kallenbach declared that he therefore saw no chance but was willing to receive his payment according to the monetary value of the building. The work was not entrusted to a contractor but artisans were employed under the supervision of J. Overbeek, the orphanage carpenter. Two cornerstones for the building were laid on 4 September 1907 by the wife of Gen. Piet Joubert and Rev. H.S. Bosman respectively. The name Talita Kumi was given to the building.
At completion Rev. Kriel informed the architect that the building costs were £4 550 13s. 10d. Kallenbach exclaimed "That’s a miracle!" Everything was built according to the architects' plans to the finest detail. On the day of the opening of the building a large crowd gathered. Kallenbach handed the key over to Rev. Kriel and delivered a short speech. Amongst other things he said: "When Rev. Kriel said that he did not want to build for the amount which we stated, and that he would personally undertake the work, I was strongly opposed to it, seeing that it would put more work and responsibility on the shoulders of Rev. Kriel and the architect. But we supported him because we knew what the institution means to him."