Soar Chapel, Cwmaman facts for kids

Soar, Cwmaman was a special church building, called a chapel, for a group of Christians known as Calvinistic Methodists. It was located on Fforchaman Road in a place called Cwmaman, which is in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales.

Starting the Chapel: Early Days

The idea for Soar, Cwmaman chapel began during a big religious movement in 1859. This movement was led by a person named Dafydd Morgan.

At first, the people who wanted to start the chapel met in the home of Thomas Anthony. He was an engineer who worked at a coal mine in the village called Shepherd's Pit. Soar was also connected to another chapel nearby, called Libanus, Aberaman.

First Building Challenges

The very first chapel building was put up in 1868. But it had a big problem! It was built right on top of a coal mine tunnel owned by David Bevan. Because of this, the building sadly fell down.

But the community didn't give up. They quickly rebuilt the chapel the very next year, in 1869.

A Place for Culture: The Eisteddfod

In 1878, something exciting happened at Soar chapel. It hosted the first-ever Cwmaman village Eisteddfod. An Eisteddfod is a special Welsh festival where people compete in music, poetry, and other arts.

Later Years and Closure

The chapel building was rebuilt again in 1895. This new building was much bigger and cost about £3,070. It had enough seats for 650 people! A special stone for the new building was laid by D.A. Thomas, who was a Member of Parliament (MP). An MP is someone elected to represent people in the government.

Ministers and Membership

The first two ministers (leaders) of the chapel were Reverend W. Tefilan Griffiths and Reverend Williams Davies. A minister named W.D. Morris served the chapel for a very long time, forty years, from 1886 to 1926. During his time, the number of people who were members of the chapel grew to 350 by 1912.

The Chapel Closes

Soar, Cwmaman chapel eventually closed its doors in 1992. The building itself was taken down in 1998.