Naturally Knysna (Knysna Tourism) article on Knysna Manor House

Naturally Knysna, our local Tourism councill, posted a lovely article in their newsletter on Friday, and I will try and share it here.  It details the history of our amazing historical building.

Knysna Manor House
The home of Henry Percy Morgan

Overnight in a piece of Knysna history. This previous boarding school property is now home to the guesthouse: Knysna Manor House.

In 1864, the Governor Sir Philip Wodehouse granted this property, then known as Lot 27 and which stretched between Fichat Street and Main Street in the Naval Township of Melville, to the Scottish merchant William Gunn McPherson.

In 1872, after William McPherson’s unfortunate death in 1870 who died after falling from a post cart, the land and improvements were sold to Hjalmar and Rolf Thesen, who were then living on the property in an earlier building lower down on this property in the Main Street, now known as Harry B’s.

Henry Percy Morgan, the proprietor of the West End Hotel, later to be upgraded and known as the Imperial Hotel, purchased the property in 1892. He later became the fifth Mayor of Knysna in 1903.

Andrew Hepburn of the Knysna Forest Co built the building for HP Morgan in 1900 and in 1939, the building was offered for sale out of the estate of the late Margaret Morgan, the widow of HP Morgan.

During the period 1945 to 1960 the Heunis family owned the house and it also operated as a boarding house for teachers and students of the Knysna High School. School classes were also held here.

In 1992 the building was re-named the Knysna Manor House.

Copy by Knysna Tourism and The Knysna Historical Society and photographs from Margaret Parkes, Anthony Liddle and Knysna Tourism. Be sure to register with the historical society to learn more about the history of Knysna and surrounds!