Sharing a common border with the mountainous Kingdom of Lesotho, the Eastern Free State is one of South Africas most picturesque areas. Apart from its rich history, palaeontology and unique geology, the area is also famous for its rather extensive use of Molteno Sandstone as a readily available building material.
Images of sandstone homes alongside the autumnal Lombardy Poplars are only a part of the areas tapestry. Oftentimes the pioneers of the region were faced with rather formidable challenges. Complementing the photography of the houses with the accompanying history provides the reader with a fuller understanding.
The book takes the shape of a peripatetic road trip. It begins in the Harrismith-Swinburne area and the journey ends in the towns of Smithfield, Rouxville and Zastron. Sandstone houses will be covered in their entirety, from the famous baronial estates to the lesser-known utilitarian workers’ homes.
This is a unique publication inasmuch as it is the first to focus only on Sandstone Houses.
