The Old Jail
Small towns along the irresistible Garden Route all have unique stories to tell, one in particular being Riversdale. Often touted as the hidden gem that many travellers on the N2 whizz past and consequently miss out on experiencing, Riversdale has an interesting history worth discovering.
For starters, Riversdale’s oldest building happens to be its former jail, locally knowns as Die Ou Tronk. The Old Jail, however, did not begin its storied journey as a correctional facility. Built in 1838, by the Barry family of Swellendam, the building was initially used as a trading store. Later, the building, which reflected Old Dutch and Cape Victorian architectural stylings, was purchased by the government and transformed into a jail. This 1860 iteration, meant that the historic building would function as a police station, holding cell, and courtroom. The proprietor of this law enforcement establishment also lived on the premises.
Serving justice meant delivering the death penalty to lawbreakers. One such event occurred in Riversdale, where Gilbert Hay of Heidelberg was sentenced to the gallows for murdering his own mother. At the time, Swellendam was the main magisterial district and thus the wooden frame from which Hay was to be hung had to be transported to Riversdale. Once the fatal verdict was delivered, the gallows had to return to Swellendam by ox wagon.
In 1979 the jail and its memorable yet macabre event was closed and the building passed over into new hands. Today, it’s been lovingly repurposed into a meeting place for locals and visitors alike with its coffee shop, arts and crafts stalls, offering ample treats and curios. While its courtyard is packed with fruit trees which provide the perfect amount of shade and aromatic ambience.