Ebenezer Welsh Independent Chapel

The history of Ebenezer dates back to the late eighteenth century when a congregation including Independents and Calvinistic Methodists worshipped together in dwelling houses, and occasionally succeeded in getting an ordained minister to visit them. The two denominations separated towards the end of 1799. In 1804 the small congregation adapted a small house on Penypound for use as a place of worship, and obtained a licence as a house of worship in the court of Llandaff on 16 October 1804. G. Hughes of Groeswen ministered to the congregation at this time, but in 1809, Methusalem Jones of Merthyr took over, as he was closer to the congregation that his predecessor. Joseph Harrison, the future…

A chapel was built in 1811 and although land had been offered by Griffith Davies of Blaengwawr it was decided to build at Trecynon, then known as Heolyfelin, literally the 'Mill Road', a reference to the Aberdare Ironworks at Llwydcoed which were established in 1800. It was said that the congregation gathered stones for the original building from the common above Trecynon. The builders are recorded as Morgan Shon Morgan, John Richards of Penywaun and Thomas Philip Richards. In 1813, the congregation resolved to call a minister and they chose David Jones, a member of the church at Mynyddbach, near Swansea. Jones was ordained at Ebenezer on 29 July 1813. However, within three years, the area…