Tag: Ebenezer Chapel (Trelewis)

The next chapel in our regular feature is Ebenezer Welsh Independent Chapel in Trelewis. Today is an apt date for featuring Ebenezer Chapel, as 130 years ago today (30 September 1889), the foundation stones of the chapel were laid.

In 1870, members of Libanus Chapel, Quakers Yard started a Sunday School in Trelewis, firstly at Penygroesheol and then at Pontsquire.

In 1875 a schoolroom was built on a piece of land belonging to Bontnewydd Farm, and in 1877 the cause was instituted as a branch of Libanus Chapel under the pastorate of Rev G B Williams.

Within two years however, the Deep Navigation Colliery opened and the town of Treharris was built. When it was realised that Treharris was developing more quickly than Trelewis, a number of the members of the congregation wanted to move the chapel to Treharris, and in April 1880 about 40 of them founded Tabernacle Chapel in Treharris.

Ebenezer was then left with only thirteen members, but they were determined to carry on and the congregation gradually began to grow again. By 1883, the congregation had grown to over forty people and Rev John Evans, minister at Penuel Chapel, Nelson became minister of Ebenezer in a joint pastorate with Penuel.

By 1889 the congregation had grown to an extent that it was decided to build a more substantial chapel, and the foundation stones of the chapel were laid in September 1889 by Sir Alfred Thomas M.P. (Lord Pontypridd), and Thomas Williams of Merthyr. The chapel was designed by Mr John Williams of Merthyr and the builder was Mr D Jenkins of Dowlais.

The total cost of the building was £900, a large amount of which was raised at a grand bazaar in 1890.

The chapel was a very successful cause for many years, but like nearly all the chapels in the borough, numbers dwindled after the Second World War, and the chapel eventually closed and was demolished.