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Discover›Design & architecture
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Herbert Baker
Architect

Herbert Baker

Famoose for

Monumental architecture in South Africa and British imperial settings.

Groote Schuur

Born
9 June 1862
Birthplace
Kent, England
Died
4 February 1946

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Herbert Baker

English architect whose classical buildings expressed the power of the institutions that commissioned them. Worked closely with Cecil Rhodes and later on major public projects.

Early life

Kent training

Grew up at Owletts, attended Tonbridge School and trained with Arthur Baker and the practice of Ernest George and Harold Peto.

Career

  1. 1891

    South Africa

    Travelled to help his brother establish a farm.

  2. 1893

    Cape Town

    Became diocesan architect.

  3. 1899

    Partnership

    Established Baker & Masey.

  4. 1911

    Travel scholarship

    Created a scheme for South African architects to study abroad.

Selected buildings

Groote Schuur

Rebuilt Cecil Rhodes’s house, a commission central to his career.

Beyond architecture

Family and preservation

Married Florence Edmeades in 1904 and had four children. Retired to Owletts and bequeathed it to the National Trust.

Sources & photo creditBiography and career ↗Biographical references ↗

Original photograph. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.

Photo: Charles Herbert Reilly. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.