Located some fifty kilometres east of Johannesburg, this town earned its name due to the number of water springs in the area. It was established due to gold and coal reserves in the area. Springs is well known for its architecture. It has the second biggest collection of small scale art deco buildings in the world after Miami.
Check out the art deco architecture - Springs has the second biggest collection of small scale art deco buildings in the world after Miami!
The town was founded as a gold and coal mining farm in 1904 but its history can be traced back to the second half of the 19th century. From the 1840s farmers moved into the area and declared farms for themselves. In September 1884 an official map of the area was registered. The coal found in this area was of a high quality and by 1888 the first contract to mine coal was signed. Gradually as coal was discovered further east the significance of Springs faded.
