Swellendam NG Kerk
The congregation of Swellendam NG church is the seventh oldest congregation of the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa. It was formed on 3 May 1798. The Rev. J. H. Von Manger was appointed as minister by the Governor, Lord McCarthy. Before that time services were held in the Drostdy. However, for baptism and communion, the members had to travel to Stellenbosch or Cape Town.
The first thatched cross church was built in 1802 by Christoffel Koents. He also built the pulpit from stinkwood and yellowwood. As the congregation grew, the church building had to be enlarged. In 1909 it was decided to demolish the old church and the new one was built. It was completed in 1911 and it was consecrated on July 10, 1911. The architecture of the building is an eclectic mix of building styles. The gables are Baroque, and the windows are Gothic. The dome is Oriental and the tower is a replica of a famous tower in Belgium. The building also reflects some Cape Dutch features. It was built with massive yellowwood beams which came from the demolished old church.
. The church seats 901 persons and the gallery seats 516 people. The large graveyard has 700 graves dating from 1840.
7 Voortrekstraat
