The Powder House

The Powder House in Stellenbosch features thick, whitewashed stone walls and a steep, thatched roof designed to withstand a massive explosion. Built in seventeen seventy-seven, the small structure held the town's entire supply of gunpowder and ammunition to keep it safely away from the wooden houses and thatched roofs of the village center. A local official named Jan de Waal once insisted on keeping the key in his own pocket, fearing that careless residents might spark a disaster during a dry summer.