The Heidelberg Heritage Association unveiled the latest blue plaque for heritage in Heidelberg on July 7.
Tony Burisch of the Heidelberg Heritage Association was on hand to unveil plaque no 73 at the Heidelberg Pound, 65 Jordaan Street.
Visible at the premises is the original stone enclosure. They used the pound for stray horses, donkeys, cows, and goats.
If no one claimed the animals, they posted a notice in the local newspaper for the owners to collect their livestock.
If the owners did not claim the impounded animals, the pound would auction the animals to defray the cost.
It is believed the pound came into operation at nearly the same time as Heidelberg’s establishment in the 1860s.
One of the first known pound masters was a Mr C Shaw in 1903 and H Lavers in 1905.
Various sites in Heidelberg can claim to be heritage sites. Being awarded a heritage site takes time, considering certain criteria. One criterion is the building needs to be 60 years and older.
When a property is declared a blue plaque site, it becomes protected from being demolished or changed unless approved by the Provincial Heritage Resources Authority-Grade.
