Van der Kemps Kloof - Bethelsdorp

Located on the little Swartkops River, Bethelsdorp was established in 1803 by Dr Johannes Theodosuis Van Der Kemp and was the first organised settlement in the Algoa Bay area, bar the military command post at Fort Frederick. He was sent by the London Missionary Society and arrived in the area in 1801. He built a permanent settlement to fulfil his missionary work. The history of the settlement is both interesting and historically valuable. These include the Van Der Kemps Kloof Church, the first built in 1803 (rebuilt 1903 and 1926); the market square with the Mission bell, erected in 1815; a square stone house, named Livingstone Cottage, reported to have hosted Dr David Livingstone; and a row of Alms houses built in 1822. These houses, the church and other building Treasured relics still used by the church consists of Van Der Kemp’s Dutch Bible, the oldest in the country, printed in Holland in 1664, as well as his pulpit chair and baptismal font.