Heritage vs economics

The Hammer and Anvil, corner Kilkenny and Armagh in Parkview, has been a blot on the landscape for some years now. Both garden and house appear neglected.

Neighbours have voiced their disapproval with 20 of them objecting to the owner's application for removal of the title deeds. This will enable the owner, Oliver Martin, to build a second main dwelling on the property.

The Hammer and Anvil is a commune where 6 people live. More live in the outbuildings, and the owner's daughter lives in a new-built double storey granny cottage on the property.The Parkview Residents don't like the look of this building and are rightly worried that the intended new house will be a similar style.

Martin, originally an engineer, says he wants to design his house, but that he has a heritage architect who will design the outside of the building, so that it is in keeping with the original house. The Parkview Resident's Association do not want any extra building on the property, as it will impact on the "unique nature" of the property.

The property is double the size of an average Parkview property, but the house extends over the halfway (1000 sq m) mark. So Martin applied last year to amongst other things remove the bay window and reposition it on the other side, in order to have to equal halves of 1000sq m each. This application has already been refused by PHRAG (Provincial Heritage Authority for Gauteng).

No problem, says Martin, who merely draws an imaginary line where the boundary would be, which is academic anyway because he doesn't intend building a wall.

Last year Martin demolished the pergola, apparently a heritage structure, some say in preparation for this year's building project. Martin refutes the fact that it was a heritage structure and says in any case it was half demolished when the property was originally subdivided in 1975.

Basically it's all down to economics. "I'm not going to spend R200 000 underpinning the kitchen and bathroom, " (which is inexorably sinking and cracking) admits Martin. "There are no foundations to this house," he says, indicating 5 centimetres with his fingers, "That's how far in the earth the bottom stonework is."

Martin admits he has lost interest in the house, and says cannot afford the upkeep. He maintains the house "doesn't work as a family home" and "works perfectly as a commune". Why doesn't he get out? "It's a source of income to me, and my daughter's inheritance, " he says, adding that he has no pension. Perhaps Martin has a point when he says how about a restoration fund?

A stately Jacaranda stands in the middle of the garden, proudly protected by Heritage and loved by all, Martin included.

The Hammer and Anvil was built in 1912 for Zachias Marsh and the architect was GW Nicolay.