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Elim Baptist Chapel, Penydarren
In 1841, Rev William Robert Davies, minister at Caersalem Chapel in
Dowlais decided that a new cause should be started in Penydarren
to cater for the ever growing population there. Land was leased
from the Penydarren Iron Company and the chapel was built in
1842, and the new chapel prospered under Rev Davies leadership.
Elim continued to be considered as a branch of Caersalem until
it gained its independence in 1852. The congregation continued
to grow and the chapel was rebuilt in 1858.
By the 1930’s it had become obvious that the chapel needed a new school
room to accommodate the burgeoning Sunday School at Elim Chapel.
The materials necessary to build the school room were offered to
the chapel at a very reasonable price on the condition that the
members of the chapel could collect them. As this was the time
of the Great Depression, and the Dowlais Works having recently
closed, most of the men at the chapel found themselves
unemployed, so they collected the materials and built the school
room themselves. The women of the chapel organised many
activities to raise money towards the building
Elim was severely
damaged in a storm on 23 December 1977 when the roof was blown
off. The chapel was beyond repair and had to be demolished the
following year. Services were subsequently held at Williams
Memorial Chapel until that chapel closed, and the remaining
members of the congregation rejoined their mother church at
Caersalem.
Steve Brewer
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