Skuinshuis, Provincial heritage building in Stellenbosch, South Africa

Skuinshuis is a two-story building on Ryneveld Street displaying Georgian architectural features such as a raised parapet with molded cornice and round cast iron vents. The structure has a central entrance with a fanlight in an arched plaster frame, multiple windows, and a tiled front porch.

Skuinshuis was built in 1782 as a T-shaped farmhouse beside an old wagon trail, before Stellenbosch's present street grid was laid out in 1811. Its facade, with a raised parapet, molded cornice and round cast-iron vents, dates from the early 19th century. The building is a provincial heritage site on Ryneveld Street.

The building is known as Skuinshuis, meaning "leaning house" in Afrikaans, a name that refers to its skewed position relative to Ryneveld Street. It stands next to the Stellenbosch Synagogue at 44 Ryneveld Street, whose congregation was founded in 1900 and moved into its current building in 1923.

The building is located near a synagogue and is easily accessible from the town center. Visitors should note that this is a protected heritage site and interior access may be limited.

The building's skewed position relative to Ryneveld Street reflects the old wagon trail it once faced, before the town's grid was laid out in 1811. Look at how the facade turns away from the modern street line.