Calfaria, Aberdare
| Calfaria, Aberdare | |
|---|---|
| Location | Monk Street, Aberdare |
| Country | Wales, United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Baptist |
| History | |
| Founded | 1811 |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 1 October 1991 |
| Architect(s) | Thomas Joseph |
| Architectural type | Chapel |
| Style | Early 19th century |
| Completed | 1852 (replacing earlier building) |
| Construction cost | £1,400 |
| Closed | 2012 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 840 |
Calfaria Baptist Chapel, Aberdare, was one of the largest baptist churches in the South Wales Valleys and the oldest in the Aberdare valley. The chapel had an ornate interior, including a boarded ceiling with a deeply undercut rose, while the balcony balustrading had a cast iron front with an intricate foliage design. These features were common in the Welsh chapels of the late nineteenth century. The organ was installed in 1903 at a cost of £850. It was played for the last time in 2012 by Robert Nicholls, during a Radio Cymru broadcast shortly before the closure of the chapel.
The earliest Baptist meetings in the area were held in agricultural buildings or in the Long Room of the Farmers Arms in Aberdare. In 1811, a small piece of land was leased from Griffith Davies of Ynysybwl and 1812, Carmel Baptist Church was opened. Known locally as Penpound, the first minister was William Lewis. The church struggled in the early days owing to the failure of the Aberdare Ironworks in 1815. Lewis's pastorate came to an end after only two years.
Thomas Price commenced his ministry in 1845. As the membership grew the building became too small so Carmel was handed over to a smaller English speaking congregation while a new chapel, Calfaria, was built nearby. The new chapel was designed by Thomas Joseph, a colliery engineer from Hirwaun, cost £1,400 to build and seated 840. The building was extended in 1859 and the adjacent Calfaria Hall built in 1871. The first service was held at Calfaria on February 8, 1852. By this time, Price had become a leading figure in public life, primarily as a result of his very public criticisms of the 1847 Education Reports and the evidence given to the commissioners by the vicar of Aberdare, the Rev John Griffith.
At one time in the nineteenth century, Calfaria had over a thousand members but many hundreds were transferred to branch chapels established at the instigation of Thomas Price. In 1855 the Heolyfelin Baptist Church was formed as a branch of the Hirwaun Baptist Church; and in 1856 91 members from Calfaria were transferred to form the English Baptist Church at Carmel, Aberdare. Bethel, Abernant, was opened in 1857. In 1849 121 members were transferred to form Gwawr, Aberaman; in 1855, 89 were released to start a cause at Mountain Ash, and in 1862, 163 were released to strengthen Bethel, Abernant; in the same year 131 were released to form a church in Ynyslwyd; in 1865 49 were transferred to form Gadlys Church. 927 altogether were released from Calfaria to form churches in various parts of the district. Price, however, ensured that the unity of the Baptist 'family' of churches was maintained by such activities as Baptismal services in the river Cynon and annual eisteddfodau. In 1913, a local resident recalled:
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