Church Square was the site of the first church in Pretoria.
It's current layout was designed by Vivian S. Rees-Poole in 1912 to imitate London's Trafalgar Square and Paris' Place de la Concorde.
Perhaps the best known feature of Church Square is the large bronze statue of former president Paul Kruger, surrounded by the statues of 4 other Boers. The statue of Paul Kruger was commissioned by Mr. Sammy Marks and sculpted by Anton van Wouw. It was cast in Italy near the turn of the century, yet only erected on the square in 1954.
The Square is surrounded by many historic buildings, some having been erected as early as 1891. Among them stand the old Raadsaal (council chambers), Centenary Building, Netherlands Bank and others. Most noteworthy in history is the Palace of Justice which was served as the schene for The Rivonia Treason Trial, when Nelson Mandela and some other liberation figures were accused of treason.
The square is also the home of weekly parades. Wednesday mornings, from 9:30 to 10:30 a procession leads down a main road toward the square, where the national and city flags are then hoisted to the sound of the National Anthem.
