Stilbaai, Dutch Reformed Church

Abstract

The congregation started in 1943 and housed in a building in Stilbaai West. In 2020 it built a new church building located in Stilbaai East. The previous building now houses the Baptist church. The church has a remarkably light and white tower. For stability, the bell was installed on the lowest possible part of the tower. It is indeed quite remarkable to see a bell constructed on a wheel that however misses a chord for pulling. Instead, there is a chord attached directly to the clapper. The bell itself is very well conserved and shows all the traditional decorations found on bells of the foundry. Below the shoulder one first finds a decorative band with flowers and angels playing the violin. Underneath this figures the information about the foundry, the year of founding and the suppliers. In a single line all around the bell one reads: GELEWER DEUR SUID AFRIKAANSE ORRELBOUERS BEPERK SILVERTON. + + PETIT & FRITSEN, AARLE-RIXTEL, HOLLAND 4575 + + A.D. 1965. Then follow two moulding wires with in between a set of dots and underneath a third decorative band with hanging leaves in ogive form. Above the sound bow one finds a set of five moulding wires. On a side and below the founding date figures the pretty emblem of the foundry that shows a seal with three bells, one above, two underneath in between the branches of a tree. The emblem is surrounded by flowery branches. The number 4575 refers to a registration number in the order book of the company. From the early fifties of last century onwards, the Suid-Afrikaanse Orrelbouers (SAOB) started intensive business with the foundry Petit & Fritsen. Apart from the Western Cape, the foundry had a lot of business with other areas in South-Africa like Transvaal and the Pretoria region. While most orders came from the Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk, also orders from churches of other denominations have been registered. The Royal Bell Foundry Petit & Fritsen is the third oldest family business in the whole of the Netherlands. It started operations in 1660 and remained one of the main bell founders in the world. It recently was amalgamated with the Koninklijke Eijsbouts in Asten, the Netherlands.