There is no evidence in the available sources that the famous architect Louis Thibault or sculptor Anton Anreith built the front of the house in its current form around 1795.

Among the many important visitors to 23 Strandstreet were people like dr. Abraham Faure (from 1822 to 1867 pastor of the NG congregation in Cape Town), Andries Stockenström (lieutenant-governor of the Eastern Province), John Fairbairn (campaign for freedom of the press, educationalist, financier and politician) and William Porter (attorney-general of the Cape Colony) from 1839 to 1866, after whom Porterville was named).

De Wet's sister was married to Sir John Truter, the first chief justice of the Cape Colony and founder of the NG commune Wynberg.

Her father attached great value to the knowledge of foreign languages and later she and her sister were taught German and French at home by a private tutor.

At a ripe old age she once translated an article into Dutch that appeared in an Italian news paper about president Paul Kruger.

She also received instruction in music, painting and needlework, skills that were in vogue at the time as part of a young lady's education.

It was a spontaneous protest in 1849 against the British government's intention to use the Cape as a penal colony for a shipload of convicted criminals, who would be released after serving their sentences.

Malan, writes that this movement to save the Cape from the fate of a penal colony "probably contributed more than anything else to the awakening of a feeling of patriotism in the heart of Marie".

From an early age she followed her father's leading role in all his activities, for example the movement to obtain a parliamentary Constitution for the Cape Colony.

This brought about a national awareness in the mind of the young girl with a powerful personality and in time she became known for her strong patriotic insights.

The governor, Sir George Grey, offered him the position of foreign correspondent clerk in the head post office because he was fluent in six European languages, and the young couple went to live in Waal Street, but when Koopmans' post was cut as an austerity measure during the depression of 1867 abolished, they returned to her parents' home.

Soon after, Marie's mother died, after which the care of the household passed to the unmarried Margaretha; and on 15 June 1875 also her father.

In 1881, they undertook a trip to several European countries and got to know the relatives of her late husband, among whom the later editor of Die Volkstem dr. Frans Engelenburg.

In the area of culture, she created an opportunity in their home for young people of both English and Dutch descent to organize a series of chamber performances with music.

In her parents' home, she was constantly in contact with prominent Cape figures, such as Sir John Truter, her uncle.

Louis-Napoléon, Prince Imperial, son of Napoleon III and Empress Eugenie, stayed with Marie during his short visit at the Cape on his way to Zululand.

When he died so suddenly, Marie sent a touching letter to the empress on behalf of the women and mothers of the Cape to express their condolences to her.

Cecil John Rhodes, who was prime minister at the time, sent a copy of the scheme to Marie to get her opinion on the matter.

One of her greatest interests was the promotion of the Dutch language which, after it had been shut out of public life for about half a century thanks to Governor Lord Charles Somerset's policy, was again allowed alongside English in parliamentary debates in 1882.

Koopmans-de Wet's greatest and most important work was in the interests of the women and children in the concentration camps of the Anglo-Boer War and on behalf of the Boer republics as a whole.

When Olive Schreiner published her pamphlet with the passionate appeal for justice and peace, Marie sent a copy of it to a friend in London with the request that she send it to Queen Victoria.

“God alleen weet hoe gering mijn beste pogingen waren … Mijn volk heb ik lief gehad en getracht voor te leven.” Two days after Marie's death, on 4 August 1906, she was solemnly discharged from the death house, where professor Adriaan Moorrees gave the speech, brought to the Wynberg churchyard where she was buried next to her parents and her husband.

Steyn delivered the eulogy at the funeral service, led by professor Adriaan Moorrees from the Seminary in Stellenbosch, while the speech at the grave by prof. J.I.

Olive Schreiner described her as “a woman of exceptional intellectual ability, one who knew no fear or distress, even during the painful oppression of war.

– De tedere sympathie in alle leed, dit milde hand in alle nooddrift, zo wel bekend aan Transvaalsche weduween en wezen, dat warme hart voor al wat schoon en edel was, die hartstochtelijke liefde het Afrikaansche volk, die heldenmoed, welke in dagen van storm en gevaar – toe zelfs rotzen wankelden – de Afrikaanssche vlag omhoog hielt aan Tafelbergs voet.”