Bethel Chapel, Gadlys facts for kids

Bethel, Gadlys was a special church building, also known as a chapel, located on Railway Street in Gadlys, a town called Aberdare, Wales. It was a place where people who followed the Independent (or Congregationalist) Christian faith gathered for worship.

Building a New Chapel

In 1860, about thirty people who used to go to Salem, Robertstown chapel decided to start their own new church. They wanted a place where they could worship in their own way. This new chapel, Bethel, was designed by a local architect named Evan Jones from Aberdare. It cost about £747 to build, which was a lot of money back then! The first chapel was quite large and could hold up to 600 people.

The first minister, who led the services, was William Harrison. After him, a minister named Hugh Hughes, also known as Huw Tegai, took over in 1859. He had been a minister in Manchester before coming to Bethel. Sadly, he died suddenly in 1864.

Other ministers who served at Bethel included Robert Evans, from 1866 to 1877, and D. Onllwyn Brace, from 1885 to 1888. In 1890, the chapel had 245 members. This number grew to 344 by 1905, especially after a big religious movement at the time. However, by 1914, the membership had decreased to 280. J. Richards was the minister from the late 1890s until 1907, when he moved to another Bethel chapel in Caernarfonshire.

A Grander Building

In 1913, the chapel building was completely rebuilt to be even grander. This new construction cost much more, about £2,975, and a new organ was added for £420. The inside of the new chapel was very fancy. It had a ceiling decorated with roses and a large balcony, called a gallery, where the organ was placed.

Bethel Chapel continued to be an important place for the community until the late 1980s. After that, it became empty and started to fall apart during the 1990s. Finally, in November 2003, the old chapel building was taken down, and a house was built on the site where it once stood.