MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Famous architect, Gawie Fagan (95) who was involved with the restoration of the Dias Museum in Mossel Bay died at his home on 13 September.
Fagan has made an indelible mark on the landscape of Mossel Bay through his involvement with the Dias Museum.
Prominently known for his restoration work that ensured that historic buildings remained preserved for posterity, his involvement with the Dias Museum also ensured that Mossel Bay residents may proudly remember the past in buildings that were initially not intended for the purpose.
Dias sailed from Tagus in August 1487, and he and his men eventually set foot in what is today Mossel Bay on February 3, 1488. The Cape Sea Route established by Dias in 1488 changed the course of South African history.
To commemorate this event, the Portuguese and South African governments built a replica caravel, guessing at the design since no known plans have survived, and sailed it to Mossel Bay from Portugal. Named the Bartolomeu Dias, the ship left Lisbon on November 8, 1987, arriving at Mossel Bay on February 3, 1988, exactly 500 years after Dias first arrived.
The city fathers at the time planned a museum to celebrate the landing of Bartolomeu Dias.
Instead of erecting a new building on the historic site, as apparently, he was requested, existing stone buildings were acquired and reworked, one to accommodate the caravel that sailed from Portugal for the occasion. A second building has been turned into a shell museum.
The oldest building on the site was a granary but demolished to make way for a modern factory. The foundation of this old granary was exposed after the factory was demolished, and a replica of the old granary was rebuilt according to specifications found in the Cape Archives.
Fagan will also fondly be remembered for his design of the main Post Office building in Marsh Street.
Mossel Bay commemorates Gawie Fagan's memory and his legacy that has preserved Mossel Bay's heritage for our future generations.
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