Situated at the Barrydale entrance to Montagu, this landmark property in Long Street—Erf 149 in the Municipality and Division of Montagu—is among the town’s oldest substantially unaltered buildings. The premises became known first for the Sixty on 62 wine cellar and later as The Barn on 62 restaurant and tea garden.

The distinctive complex comprises a rural Cape Dutch dwelling and an adjoining wine cellar, reportedly erected in 1871 by Francois Du Toit. Together, the house and cellar embody an important chapter in Montagu’s domestic, agricultural and social history.

Francois Daniel Du Toit, the first member of the Du Toit family to settle in Montagu, arrived in the area in 1853. He acquired the property from the Reverend Van der Merwe, owner of the farm Uitvlucht, on which the town of Montagu was established. Beside the residence, Du Toit constructed a cellar in which he produced his own wine. He died in 1877. One of his three sons, Roelof Petrus Du Toit, subsequently occupied the property on which the Sixty on 62 wine cellar stands. Francois Du Toit was married to a daughter of Gideon Johannes Retief, the youngest brother of Voortrekker leader Piet Retief. Their granddaughter, Aletta Elsje, later married George Miller, and the couple lived in the house until the end of the Second World War. In 1946, they sold the property to the Swanepoel family. Following Mr Swanepoel’s death in 1978, it was sold at auction to Mr Kenneth Knipe. In 1985, Mr C. Schreuder of Cape Town acquired the property with the intention of opening a “potjiekos” restaurant in the old cellar.

The cellar is the principal architectural feature of the property, having survived in a remarkably intact state. Of particular interest are openings in the eastern wall, traditionally believed to have served as firing loopholes during the Anglo-Boer War. After wine production ceased, the cellar fulfilled several roles: it served as a storeroom, accommodated church services and housed an art school before its eventual conversion into a restaurant.

The complex makes an important contribution to the architectural character of Long Street, Montagu’s oldest thoroughfare. In recognition of its cultural and historical significance, it was declared a National Monument in 1984.

Sources and acknowledgements: Annette Cilliers, Curator of Joubert House (email correspondence, 9 February 2015); Howard and Joan Othwood; Dr Naas van der Westhuizen; Mrs Audrey Burger; and Government Notice No. 1763 of 17 August 1984.