30/06/2026
Some history about Rosendal!
www.ultimateguideclarens.co.za
The Dutch Reformed Church in Rosendal, Eastern Free State
by Gina Shepherd
The beautiful sandstone church in Rosendal stands like a sentinel above the town, commanding attention from all directions. The honey-coloured sandstone is a distinctive mark of churches in the Eastern Free State and lends a warmth that is particularly beautiful at sunrise and sunset.
The town of Rosendal is nestled among the Witteberg Mountains which are ancient (dating from the Devonian period, millions of years before the Clarens formation) and full of mystery. The formal establishment of the town took place in 1908. It had the advantage of being roughly equidistant to Senekal (40km) and Ficksburg (45km), which was a day’s journey by horse in either direction. At the time of its founding the nearest towns with Dutch Reformed (Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk) churches were Winburg (65km northwest, established 1843), Bethlehem (55km north, est. 1869), Ficksburg (45km east, est. 1870), Ladybrand (70km southeast, est. 1870), Senekal (40km west, est. 1879), and Clocolan (50km east-southeast, est. 1907). Distances are straight line and not by current roads.
People had settled in the area from around the time of the Basotho Wars which took place roughly between 1858 and 1870, although some farmers predated that to the Voortrekker period. By the time of the town’s establishment a church was sorely needed in the district, reducing travel time to the nearest congregations. The church held a central role in the community and also served to anchor social relations. In 1913, 238 residents petitioned the church council to build a church in the town. Security was furnished, and the request was granted with the congregation officially formed on 15 October 1913. Services were held in temporary venues (such as the blacksmith’s workshop) while a building was planned.
The church was designed by architect Walter Malcolm Wilson Donaldson; the foundation stone having been laid on 8 July 1914 by Ds AJ Troskie of the Ficksburg congregation. On the stone is inscribed: “Dit is niet dan een huis Gods, en dit is de poort des hemels” (translation: This is none other than the house of God, and the gate to heaven), taken from Genesis 28:17.
The construction of the church was undertaken by Clyde Construction Company of Bloemfontein with locally quarried stone. The total cost is not well documented.
The construction was delayed by WWI (1914–1918) events, and the Eastern Free State was heavily affected by the 1914 Rebellion, which was made up of men who objected to South Africa’s entry into the war on the side of Britain. Resentments that remained from the Second Anglo-Boer War (1899–1902) boiled over with people very split on the question to the extent that the Winburg congregation of the DRC even split over it. Several skirmishes between the rebels and Union Defence Force took place in the greater area.
The inaugural ceremony of the Rosendal DRC took place on 28 April 1916, led by Ds HJ Pienaar of Senekal. The first dominee of the congregation was HS Theron.
The church is still in use with residents of the town and district coming together each Sunday.
Sources:
1. Maeder, GA; Zinn, C. 1916. Ons Kerk Album van Hollandsche Kerken en Leeraren. Cape Town: Ons Kerk Album Maatschappij.
2. Artefacts. Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk: Rosendal. https://www.artefacts.co.za/main/Buildings/bldgframes_mob.php?bldgid=8583 [accessed 17 June 2026].
3. Rosendal Town: History and Heritage. https://rosendaltown.co.za/history-and-heritage/ [accessed 17 June 2026].
Image © 2026 Gina Shepherd
