Historic house in ruins
2008-05-29
Lise Beyers
AN historic Paarl house is dilapidating to a state of total disrepair. This house on Church Square, adjacent to the Strooidak Church, was once the home of Karl Metzler, who was the third generation of his family to live there. The original house was built in the late 1700’s and was then extended in the 1800’s. Architects have said that this property is a valuable part of Paarl’s architectural heritage. But now, almost two years after Metzler’s death at the age of 88, the house is boarded up and is slowly rotting away. Metzler made the headlines in 1999, when he was attacked in his house by a gang. He was severely beaten, robbed and left for dead. He did however survive, but was left with brain damage, and due to this, started suffering from epileptic fits. In 2004, an almost blind Metzler, could no longer live on his own, and was then accommodated at Rusoord until his death. After the brutal attack on him, he was treated by psychiatrist dr Madelene Kellerman. Metzler had been divorced for many years and had never had children. Although he had previously drawn up a will in which he bequeathed his home and belongings to a cousin, Julia Margaretha Findlay, he cancelled this will shortly before his death and a new one was drawn up, with Kellerman as the main beneficiary. Kellerman spends most of her time in Canada were she runs a psychiatrist’s practice, and spends about three weeks of the year in South Africa. And in the meantime, the Metzler house stands forlorn, a ghost house in an overgrown garden. Various concerned historians have been inquiring into the future of the house, but to no avail. Civil engineer and member of the Drakenstein Heritage Foundation, Pat Hart, also voiced his concern. Hart said: “It is evident that the roof of the house is leaking. “This is sure to damage the wooden ceilings and floors. Being all boarded up will cause further decay inside, due to the damp.” It is feared that if renovations are not done to the house in the near future, that it will eventually collapse, leaving Paarl without yet another historical monument. “This will ultimately pave the way for property developers to get hold of this very valuable piece of real estate,” said an historian.
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