Museums
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To really get a feel for Tulbagh, it is worthwhile to take a stroll down historic Church Street and visit the museums. Start at the Old Church Museum and then make you way down to number 4, 22 and then to Monbijou at 36 Church Street. No trip to Tulbagh would be complete without a trip to De Oude Drostdy. Lookout for the signboards. Please double click on images to enlarge Old Church Museum
No.4 & No.22 Church Street
Monbijou Stately House
Monbijou was built about 1815 when Tulbagh was a developing little town; it had a Drostdy and seemed assured of a prosperous future. The house was designed by the distinguished French architect Louis Michel Thibault who was then working at the Cape. Thibault had been trained at the Academy if Architecture in Paris by Gabriel, the architect of the Petit Trianon at Versailles which is today considered his masterpiece and the loveliest of France's historical monuments; Monbijou is based on its first design. This neoclassical style was Thibault's most authentic mode of expression and most successful contribution to Cape Architecture. Unfortunately, most of the outstanding examples, like Papenboom in Newlands, have been destroyed. Today Monbijou is the only remaining double storey building which was designed by Thibault from ground plan up; it is not a reconstruction or alteration of an existing house. The rectangular ground plan, the arrangement of the pilasters, the half size windows on the upper floor are some of the finer points by which on recognises Thibault's hand; they are also all to be found in Marie Antoinette's elegant chateau. Monbijou remained virtually unchanged during the last century, while the other houses in Church Street had acquired a neat Victorian appearance without gables, exemplifying a typical South African village development. In 1969 a severe earthquake partially destroyed most of the Victorianised houses; the Tulbagh Restoration Committee rebuilt them in the familiar Cape Dutch cottage style - based on old photographs. Fortunately, Monbijou was not so severely damaged and retains its original form. It had been proclaimed a National Monument long before the disaster, one of only three in Tulbagh. Monbijou, so entirely different, is a reminder of the French cultural influence at the Cape and with its quiet dignity and clean, elegant lines is one of the rarest treasures or our architectural heritage. The house still contains the late Dr Helmut Silberg's extensive library plus some examples of his collection of art and antiques.
De Oude Drostdy MuseumDo not miss out on visiting De Oude Drostdy. Drive out towards the Winterhoek Mountains where you will come across this magnificent building on your right.
In 1804 the district of Tulbagh was established and the Drostdy, designed by Thibault, was officially opened towards the end of 1806. In 1822 the seat of the landdrost moved to Worcester and the Drostdy passed into private ownership. The Drostdy had to withstand natural disasters three times in its history. After the earthquake of 1969, the building was restored to its original graceful dignity by the National Monuments Council. Today it houses a unique collection of early Cape furniture and household articles. Local artists and potters exhibit their work in the Drostdy from time to time.
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