The latest chapel in our ongoing series is Smyrna Baptist Chapel in Aberfan.
After Rev James Lewis became minister of Carmel Chapel, Troedyrhiw, in the 1860s, he started a Sunday School in Aberfan. This was held firstly at a private house and then in the long room of the old Red Cow public house.
As the congregation grew Rev Lewis and two of his deacons – William Jones and William Philip Price decided to build their own place of worship, and in 1879 a plot of land was leased from Mrs Rowland Griffiths of Aberfan House for £2.10s.0d., and a small chapel was built by William Lloyd, a member of Carmel Chapel, for the sum of £750.
By the turn of the 20th Century, the congregation had grown sufficiently for a new chapel to be built. It was decided to build the chapel on a larger plot of land adjoining the original chapel. The new chapel was built by the Spratt Brothers of Merthyr and was completed in 1902 at a cost of £1,874. The original chapel was joined on to the new chapel to be used as a vestry.
During the Aberfan Disaster, Smyrna Chapel was the first building to be opened to aid the rescuers, with the vestry used as a refreshment centre and the chapel as a casualty centre for the rescuers. In the aftermath of this, due to the inevitable mess caused, the chapel had to close for restoration. When this was completed a special service was held to re-open and re-dedicate the chapel.
The new chapel was demolished in 2002, but the original chapel remains and has been refurbished for use by the community.
