History

Being the original farmhouse of Linden, the structure was built some 120 years ago by Louw Geldenhuys for his foreman. Today our doors stand open once again for visitors to share in its rich history. Linden was founded on the south-western corner of the farm Klipfontein by : Louw Geldenhuys, who farmed fruit and vegetables on Braamfontein farm and was the builder of Emmarentia Dam (named after his wife). He was also a Member of Parliament before and after the Boer War and served as a Johannesburg City Councilor. Louw Gendenhuys settled 10 families in the area now known as Linden. These families built the Emerentia Dam. He brought his portion of Klipfontein in 1896, ostensibly peach and cherry orchards; fields of maize; chicken farms; a large dairy . . . Sound way out in the country? It was to increase his grazing area.

The soil turned out to be very fertile, the acidic clay was perfect for growing peaches, and soon flourished with orchards. Once farmhouses were built, roads to Linden were laid out, and in 1932, a substantial amount of money was put aside to tar Rustenburg Road – a thoroughfare on the border to the "fruit producing area in the vicinity of Linden".

By 1934 between 300 and 400 families were living in Linden, and "most appear to be engaged in fruit farming". Water was not a problem - private wells or boreholes supplied good quality, plentiful water. The farms gradually disappeared and in the 1950s the Afrikaner elite moved in, resulting in the suburb being referred to as the "Boere Houghton", and by the late 1950s Linden was a "fully developed urban suburb".

Linden was renowned for the best yellow cling peaches in the world as recorded in the Guinness book of Records.