English: Thesen House Thesen & Co. Ltd had their first offices and store at 42 Main Street, then later in 1887 in a wooden structure in Long Street opposite where this present building stands. Simpson & Bridgman of Oudtshoorn designed Thesen House in 1915, which was built by John Donald in 1917. It housed the offices and all the trading departments of Thesen & Co. Ltd. Built on a sandstone foundation with walls of brick under an iron roof the new building was 3 times bigger than the earlier wooden offices and store and had round towers at the north and south corners. A fire destroyed the building in July 1926 which was rebuild with gables showing a Viking ship, an anchor and the red with white star house flag of the shipping line known as the Thesen Steamship Company. The building still belongs to the Thesen family.