AVAILABLE: Guided Tours | Family Friendly | OPEN: Monday – Saturday | MORE INFO: Museum Website

Introduction

Located at 95 St. George Street, the First Raadsaal Museum in Bloemfontein is a fascinating historical site that depicts the establishment of the Free State. As the oldest surviving building in the city, it has a unique history and has served various purposes over the years. Today, it is a satellite museum of the National Museum Bloemfontein, offering visitors a glimpse into the past of this important region.



About the Museum

The First Raadsaal Museum is a typical South African pioneer building that was constructed in 1849 by the soldiers of the British Resident, Major H.D. Warden, just three years after the founding of Bloemfontein in 1846. With its sturdy white walls, dung floor, small windows, and thatched roof, it is the only remaining example of the pioneer building style in the Free State capital. The building served as the cradle of administration, education, and church in the area north of the Orange River in the early 19th century.

The First Raadsaal was the first school building north of the Orange River, and it also served as a church until 1852. Later, it was used by the Legislative Council of the Orange River Sovereignty, and from 1854, by the Volksraad or Legislative Council of the Republic of the Orange Free State as Assembly Hall. When the Volksraad moved to larger premises in 1856, the building reverted to its original use as a school until 1877.

Interesting Facts

  • The First Raadsaal is the oldest surviving building in Bloemfontein, and the only remaining example of the pioneer building style in the Free State capital.
  • The building served as a church, a school, and an assembly hall for the legislative councils of the Orange River Sovereignty and the Republic of the Orange Free State.
  • The National Museum Bloemfontein was founded in the First Raadsaal in 1877, where it was housed until 1915.
  • To accommodate the growing Museum collections, a western wing was added in 1885 and an eastern wing in 1891, but the western wing was demolished in 1970.
  • The building was used for various purposes after the Museum moved out in 1915, including as a church, offices, a store room for locust poison, and a recreation hall.
  • The restored First Raadsaal Museum was opened to the public on 20 July 1977, exactly 100 years after the founding of the National Museum in the same building.

Physical Location

Travelstart Domestic

Conclusion

The First Raadsaal Museum in Bloemfontein, Free State is a destination for anyone interested in South African history and culture. This small, unassuming building holds within it a wealth of stories and artifacts that shed light on the establishment of the Free State, as well as the history of education, religion, and governance in the region.