MyJHB

Stuff from Johannesburg

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The Randlord Mansions: Northwards

The most iconic of the Randlord Mansions is Northwards, built in 1904 for the eccentric Jose Dale Lace and his wife, Josie. Sitting on the edge of the Parktown Ridge, the house was constructed from the very quartzite rock it sits upon, making it look as though it grew directly out of the mountain. It featured a minstrel gallery, a massive ballroom, and a view that stretched 50 kilometers north toward the Magaliesberg mountains. The lifestyle inside was Gatsby-esque; Josie Dale Lace was famous for driving through the dusty streets of early Johannesburg in a carriage pulled by zebras. However, the grandeur was often fleeting; the Dale Laces lost their fortune, and the house eventually became the residence of the Chairman of the South African Breweries.