History
A small group of members of the Vernacular Architectural Society of South Africa undertook to do some research on the origins of and ownership of “Ivydene”. What follows is a brief summary of some of the findings to date but it is clear that this very interesting property needs much more detailed research, both of its history and of the fabric of the building itself.
The property now known as “Ivydene” is the last unspoilt example of an old Rondebosch farm building. It is one of a group of old houses in the neighbourhood but is distinguished by its lack of disfiguring modernization and still retains an aura of a more spacious, rural way of life. Despite the loss of the lower, SE part of the Erf and the two old cottages on either side of the access lane, it remains the largest intact piece of property in the area and an ideal focus for research of this historical locality.
Land Ownership
It was part of Lot 3, which was divided from land on the Zwarte River which was granted to Johannes Martinus in Horak, Junior in 1837.
The authors Hans Fransen and Mary Cook, of The Oldest Buildings of the Cape (1980) suggest that Ivydene, as one of the old building clustered within a small radius, are apparently part of the of the old farm Weltevreden granted to G. Lochner in 1798 and may in fact incorporate its old homestead.
In July 1845, portion A of the above, i.e. Lot 3 (access lane, the current Ivydene erf including the SE Erf 47301) was transferred to George Findlay, in all 334 sq. rods 134 sq. ft.
The area become a most desirable residential retreat for the monied Victorians who were moving out of the city into large suburban houses with spacious grounds.
On September 22 1873, a deducted portion of the property was transferred to Catherine Barr Peabody and it then also included a tiny corner of the access lane and the ‘forecourt’ of Ivydene of 118sq. ft. 129 sq. ins. To add to the 284 sq. rods 50 sq. ft. 15 sq. ins. of the total transfer.
Mrs Peabody is presumed to have been the wife of the American Consul who lived with his family in Ivydene. The Cape Archives has Photographs of him and of the Peabody children in the garden, a garden virtually identical to the current one, give or take some of the tree growth.
From March 1903, Ivydene passed into the hands of successive owners these being, Mrs Barbour, Mr Powis, Hugh and Anne Giles and currently the Luckhoff and Kent Trusts.
