Hawthornden House is a double-storeyed house on Herschel Walk in the suburb ofWynberg inCape Town, South Africa. The house likely dates from 1683, but was substantially rebuilt in the FrenchVictorian style in 1881 by a Capt. John Spence.
| Hawthornden House | |
|---|---|
 Hawthornden House from its garden | |
| General information | |
| Address | Herschell Walk |
| Town or city | Wynberg, Cape Town |
| Country | South Africa |
| Current tenants | Labia Family |
| Year(s) built | 1683 |
| Client | John Spence |
| Owner | Western Cape Government |
It was bought by theRandlord Sir J.B. Robinson in 1891 and was where he lived until his death in 1927. Count Natale Labia, grandson of J.B. Robinson, donated Hawthornden to what is now the Government of theWestern Cape Province in 1978, but will continue to live there during his lifetime.[1]
The site was declared as anational monument in 1983 and became aprovincial heritage site in 2000 when the legislation changed.[2] In 2014 the area protected was extended to include the entire remaining gardens.
Hawthornden is one of the major surviving examples of high style Victorian domestic architecture in Cape Town. It is a private dwelling and is not open to the public.