Tourists stepping off cruise ships in Nelson Mandela Bay are being treated to a rare glimpse of the area’s history, visiting the historic Main Library, which has been closed to the public for more than a decade. But local residents have caught wind and are now tagging along and trying to revive one of the city’s oldest landmarks. If you had to compare Gqeberha’s city centre now to what it used to look like in the early 1900s, it would be nearly unrecognisable.
Many historic buildings have been levelled to make room for modern office blocks, and many landmarks still standing have deteriorated because of the passage of time and lack of care. But a near-pristine example of early Victorian Gothic architecture still stands on the old town square and is a testament to the old saying: they don’t make them like they used to. Known simply as the Main Library, renewed efforts are being made to restore the grand old lady to her former glory and reopen her to the people of Gqeberha and visitors alike.
While the building was officially opened in July 1902, the library’s history dates back several more decades and across various locations to when it started in 1844 as the Port Elizabeth News Society. The society initially rented a room above a shop in Jetty Street and provided members with newspapers and magazines from England before building a small collection of books. In 1845 it rented space in the Commercial Hall and slowly bought up everyone’s shares in the building.
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The library later moved to another location and rented its premises to the local government as a court house. Later, the Commercial Hall was demolished to make way for the current Main Library building, which opened its doors in 1902. “Over the decades the library has been fortunate to have several dedicated librarians to look after the building and historic collections it holds,” Carol Victor, the librarian heading up the Special Collections section, said.
“At this stage we are not completely sure how many books the Main Library has, and the collection, spanning centuries, is truly priceless.” While the entire building is currently occupied by the library, Victor said it was initially split into two sections. The upper portion, known as the Savage Memorial Hall with its own side entrance, housed the library. The main entrance and the lower floors of the building were used as office space, with one section once occupied by the Port Elizabeth Chamber Commerce – the predecessor of the current Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber.
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