Groote Kerk, Dutch Reformed church in Cape Town city centre, South Africa.
The Groote Kerk is a Dutch Reformed church on Church Square, built in 1841 by Herman Schuette, who kept the tower of the earlier church. Its pulpit, carved from Indian wood by Anton Anreith and the carpenter Jacob Graaff, was inaugurated on 29 November 1789. The building houses an organ installed in 1954, held to be South Africa's largest church organ.
The first church on this site was built in 1678, after Willem Adriaan van der Stel laid the cornerstone; a stone church opened on 6 January 1704 with a service by the Rev. Petrus Kalden, costing £2,200. It was enlarged for £4,000 and reopened in 1781 under the Rev. Johannes Petrus Serrurier. The present building by Herman Schuette opened in 1841, keeping the old tower.
The pulpit inside was carved by sculptor Anton Anreith and woodworker Jan Jacob Graaff during the colonial era, displaying the skill of local craftspeople. The ornate wooden piece reflects the artistic standards valued by the community at that time.
The church stands in Church Square, its entrance facing the square between the tower and the 1841 nave. Visitors enter from the square side; the pulpit and the organ loft are inside the main hall. Weekday visits are possible, but the building is an active congregation, so services and private events can close parts of it.
The pulpit was carved from Indian wood by sculptor Anton Anreith and carpenter Jacob Graaff, and inaugurated on 29 November 1789 at a cost of £708. The church also claims South Africa's largest church organ, installed in 1954.
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