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Southermost,
the first house in the town of In the early 1940s the current Michiel van Breda sold Southermost to Pietie Albertyn, another
well-known farmer in the district. Changing hands again in 1959, the house
became the property of Freda Cowper. Freda and her husband, Arthur (Tat)
Cowper were fruit farmers at Mazoe in the
Ceres district at the time and used Southermost
as their seaside holiday home. However, after their farmhouse on Mazoe was destroyed by the devastating Boland
earthquake of 1969, they left the Ceres area and moved permanently to Southermost at Sadly, after fourteen very happy years at Southermost,
Tat Cowper died in 1983, in his 97th year, and Freda followed him two years
later aged 84. Ownership of Southermost
then passed to their three daughters, Janda Maybank, Gill Fuller, and Meg Cowper-Lewis. During the years 1986–1994 Janda was
the resident carer of Southermost,
and in 1996 Meg took over the restoration work. Both daughters have managed
to retain the old-world charm and unique character of Southermost. Operating for thirteen years now as a Bed & Breakfast
establishment, Southermost B&B can accommodate five
guests. The accommodation is
especially appealing to foreign visitors wishing to stay in an original and
unusual The rambling old beach house comprises in total 24 rooms, is finished
in limewash, and exudes enormous character and
atmosphere. With its unique and predominantly Greek
architecture—Mediterranean courtyard and faded blue window
frames—Southermost is strongly
reminiscent of an Aegean coastal villa. Now, under the auspices of the South African Heritage Resources Agency
(SAHRA), Southermost is listed as an
historic home, and remains the southernmost private home on the continent of |
