“Hohenheim”. Does the name conjure images of grandeur? That’s fitting. Today, we explore Parktown. It is a suburb north of Johannesburg’s inner city. Parktown is known as one of the Parks. Other Parks include Parkview, Parkwood, and Westcliff.
Parktown began in the 1890s. Randlords established it. They were wealthy entrepreneurs. Parktown now has businesses and schools. It also has hospitals and churches. Quiet residential areas remain. Three of the University of the Witwatersrand campuses are here. These include the education campus and medical school.
Edouard Lippert bought land in 1890. It was part of Braamfontein Farm. He rebuilt the farmhouse. Lippert named it Marienhof. The name honored his wife, Marie. The ridge had a view. Lippert planted the Sachsenwald Forest. It supplied the mines and growing city. He divided the land into plots. Lippert hoped to develop a township.
Lady Florence Phillips visited in 1892. She rode north from Johannesburg. She saw the ridge’s view. It stretched from Sachsenwald Forest to the Magaliesberg mountains. It even reached Pretoria. She convinced her husband to build a house. Frank Emley designed their mansion. They called it Hohenheim. Parktown quickly became an elite suburb. Wealthy entrepreneurs built mansions. They showed off their wealth. They hosted parties and lavish dinners.
Parktown was a base for Jameson Raid conspirators. Today, the suburb features Victorian and Edwardian homes. Sir Herbert Baker designed some of them.
In the 1960s, 56 stately homes were demolished. This made way for the Johannesburg College of Education. It is now Wits Education Campus. More homes were destroyed in 1975. The M1 motorway was built. It runs north to south through Johannesburg’s suburbs.
Parktown West is west of Jan Smuts Avenue. It is mostly residential. Jacaranda and Plane trees line the avenues. Commerce is only allowed on the west side of Jan Smuts Avenue. Parktown West was developed in 1903. It became more popular in the 1920s and 1930s.
Besides Herbert Baker, other architects worked here. They included Bertram Richard Avery and Frank Emley. James Cope Christie and Francis Fleming contributed too. Charles Aburrow added his designs. Baker’s houses used Cape Dutch revival style. He used stone from the area. It was called “koppie stone”. James Cope Christie’s style mixed Victorian and Art Nouveau. Charles Aburrow’s designs were Victorian. Bertram Richard Avery and Frank Emley favored Edwardian style.
Parktown has a business district. It has office blocks and commercial ventures. Transnet Freight Rail has its head office here. It is in Inyanda House.
Parktown Mansions tell stories. They were homes of influential residents. Many mansions were destroyed. This was in the 1960s and 1970s. The M1 motorway was the cause. Parktown’s popularity as a business district grew too.
Remaining Baker mansions include Northwards and Villa Arcadia. Bishopskop and The Stonehouse still stand. Brenthurst is another. Dolobran was designed by J.A. Cope Christie. North Lodge was designed by J.H. Aldwyncle.
Several schools are located in Parktown. Parktown Boys’ High School was built in 1922. The Deutsche Schule Johannesburg moved here in 1969. Helpmekaar Kollege was Johannesburg’s first Afrikaans school. Holy Family College was built in 1905. Roedean School was built in 1903.
Parktown also has hospitals and clinics. These include Brenthurst Clinic and Donald Gordon Medical Centre. Milpark Hospital and Parklane Clinic are also here.
Nadine Gordimer lived in Parktown. She won the Nobel Prize in Literature. Sir Herbert Baker was a resident. He was a renowned architect. Sir Thomas Cullinan lived here. He was a diamond magnate.
Modern Parktown is an arts and culture center. The Linder Auditorium is here. It is home to the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra. The Johannesburg Children’s Theatre is in two Parktown mansions.
Parktown has diverse churches. These include a Dutch Reformed church. St Georges is an Anglican church. The Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is here. Temple Emanuel is a Jewish Reform synagogue.
The Johannesburg Freemasons’ Hall is in Parktown too. It houses old masonic lodges.
Parktown’s history is rich. Its architecture is impressive. Its culture continues to thrive. As we leave, remember the stories of the Randlords. Remember the mansions and the people who shaped Johannesburg.