Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective
Fort of Good Hope
Former fortification in Cape Town From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
The Fort of Good Hope (Dutch: Ford de Goede Hoop) was the first military building to be erected in what is now Cape Town. It was built in 1652, and was in use until 1674[1] when it was superseded by the Castle of Good Hope.
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (July 2010) |
Remove ads
History
Summarize
Perspective
The Fort was built by the Dutch East India Company, when it established a replenishment station under Jan van Riebeeck on the shore of Table Bay in 1652.[2] Constructed of earth and timber, it was square, with a pointed bastion at each corner. The bastions were named Drommedaris, Walvisch, Oliphant, and Reijger.[3] The bastions were named after the ships in Van Riebeeck's fleet.
Within the Fort were living quarters, kitchens, a council chamber (which was also used for church services), a sick bay, workshops, and storerooms. Cannons were placed on the ramparts. A nearby stream was diverted and channeled to form a moat around the fort. Being built of earth, the Fort needed frequent maintenance and repairs, especially after heavy rains.[3]
In January 1666, work began on a stone fortress to replace the Fort. It took eight years to build, and it was not until 1674 that it was ready for occupation. On 2 May 1674, the council resolved to demolish the Fort, except for some stores which were retained for a while longer, until their contents had been moved into the Castle.[3]
The Fort is sometimes confused with the Redoubt Duijnhoop, which was built some distance away, at the mouth of the Salt River, in 1654.[citation needed]
In 1732 the first Masonic lodge in South Africa was erected, Lodge De Goede Hoop, which was a branch of the Premier Grand Lodge of England.[4][5][6][7][8]
Remove ads
See also
Footnotes
References
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads