After the Jameson Raid in 1896, Pres Paul Kruger of the "Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek" decided to protect Pretoria by constructing forts in strategic places. Germans designed three of the four forts, Schanskop being one.
Fort Schanskop was completed in 1897 and was built in such a way to avert possible attacks on Pretoria from the Johannesburg and Lourenco Marques railway line, as well as from the Johannesburg road. By mounting revolving artillery on the embankment of the fort, attacks from all directions could be warded off. Schanskop was armed with one 155 mm Creusot gun (Long Tom) and two Maxims(Pom-poms) by 1899.
Fort Schanskop shared a pumping station with Fort Klapperkop, and running water came from the Apies River in the Fountains Valley. Fort Klapperkop as well as the Fountains Valley can be seen to the east from ground zero