Tabernacle, Abercynon facts for kids

Tabernacle, Abercynon was a special church called a Calvinistic Methodist chapel. It was located on Edward Street in Abercynon, a town in Wales. People who went to Tabernacle spoke Welsh during their services.

The Start of Tabernacle

The Tabernacle church began in 1892. At first, people met in different houses and even in stables. In 1893, they built their very first building. This building was used as a vestry (a room for the minister) and a Sunday school.

More and more people joined the church quickly. So, in 1898, they built a much bigger chapel. This new building was large enough for 550 people to attend services. The first minister, or leader, of the church was M.H. Jones. He later moved to another church in Carmarthen.

Growing Through the Years

In 1903, the Rev. William Jones became the new minister. He stayed at Tabernacle until 1914, when he moved to Pontrhydfendigaid.

Around 1904 and 1905, there was a big religious movement called the Religious Revival. During this time, the number of people attending Tabernacle grew a lot, reaching 300 members.

About 1912, another vestry was built at Glancynon Terrace. This new place had a branch Sunday School. It also held services during the week. This was helpful for members who lived on the other side of the Cynon River. By 1919, the church had paid off all the money it owed for building the chapel and the new vestry.

The church did not have a minister during the First World War. But in 1919, the Rev W.M. Davies joined Tabernacle. He was from Treorchy and originally from Goginan, near Aberystwyth.

For many years, the chapel building had problems with the ground beneath it sinking. This is called subsidence. In the 1960s, D. Ben Rees was the minister. He later worked in Liverpool for over forty years. While he was in Abercynon, Mr. Rees wrote a special study about nonconformist churches in the Aberdare Valley. This study was later published as a book called Chapels in the Valley in 1975.

Sadly, Tabernacle church closed its doors in 1991. Both the chapel and the vestry buildings were taken down in 1993.