Merthyr’s Chapels: Salem Chapel

Salem Welsh Independent Chapel

In 1850, a group of worshippers at Wesley Chapel at Pontmorlais severed connections with the chapel and started to worship in the Temperance Hall, and started a new sect, calling themselves the Wesleyan Reformers.

Foremost amongst the new group was Mr Walter Watkins, and he along with Mr W John, Mr Rees Chandler, Mr George Williams and Mr Richard Harris were instrumental in getting the new cause established.

By 1856, with no sign of the rift with their mother church healing, the congregation decided to build their own chapel in Newcastle Street. Shortly after this a number of members left Zoar Chapel and joined the congregation at Salem, and Rev Thomas Jenkins of Aberaman was ordained as the first minister. The congregation were accepted into the Independent Union at a quarterly meeting of the East Glamorgan Association held at Bethesda Chapel. Rev Jenkins remained at the chapel until 1864 when he emigrated to America.

In 1907, the chapel acquired a house in Newcastle Street, and converted it, at a cost of £700, into a schoolroom.

In 1925 when storms severely damaged the old Morlais Chapel, the Salvation Army Corps met at Salem Chapel, and the elders of the chapel offered the building to the Salvation Army. They declined the offer however as the building was deemed too small for their purposes. By this time the congregation had severely dwindled and in 1930 the chapel closed and the remaining congregation returned to Zoar. The building was then sold to the Temperance Movement and renamed Salem Memorial Hall.

The building has since been used by the Jehovah’s Witness movement, but has now been converted to a house.