In 1800 a theatre was opened here, called the Afrikaansche Schouwburg and the people knew it as the ‘Comedy House’. After the theatre fell into disuse, it became a church. Some reports state that enslaved people and free black people were no longer allowed to enter the building from 1829 onwards. However, on Emancipation Day, December 1, 1838, a service was held for the formerly enslaved at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church. A year later, this theater was purchased and converted into a church for formerly enslaved people, and into a school for children of color. Reportedly, the church got its name because St. Stephen was a Christian martyr who was stoned to death. People threw stones at the building because they were against it becoming a church for formerly enslaved people. The church was consecrated on April 30, 1843.

Sources

• Ancestors Research in South Africa. (2019). St. Stephen’s Church. [online] https://www.ancestors.co.za/st-stephens-church/
• South African History Online. (2020). St Stephen’s Church, Dutch Reformed Church, Riebeeck Square, Cape Town. [online] https://www.sahistory.org.za/place/st-stephens-church-dutch-reformed-church-riebeeck-square-cape-town.