Welsh Baptist Chapel, Water Street, Rhyl

LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE OF A NEW WELSH BAPTIST CHAPEL AT RHYL - The foundation stone of the new Welsh Baptist Chapel Water-street, Rhyl, was laid on Monday last, by Mrs. Hugh Stowell Brown, of Liverpool. Mr. Owen, architect, read this description as follows —The plan of the building is a parallelogram 54 feet by 36 feet inside, and contains sitting room for 300 persons, and a gallery on the east end for 100 persons, such gallery carried over a spacious entrance vestibule. It is to be lighted with four large windows, each side filled with obscure ground glass. The exterior part facing Water-street consists of a central projecting porch, with gabled roof, and in which there is to be the principal doorway, deeply recessed with columns and foliated caps each side of the jambs. Each angle of the main building has a pilaster with moulded caps, the central portion of the facade having the same features to match, the space between being arched over and containing each side a large semi-circular headed window, with pilasters, caps, keystone, and moulded label head. The central part of the façade over the porch presents an ornamental trippled window with cusped heads, each division divided with columns and foliated caps, such columns supporting deeply recessed stone voussoir arches, and immediately above that in centre of gable there if a circular aperture, filled in with stone tracery, the gable itself being finished with a bold cornice, having 'ball' ornaments at the spring and an ornamental finial at the apex. The gallery staircases are carried up in semi-circular turrets, one each side of the front facade, such turrets terminating at the top with special domes. The whole of the front and turrets are to be constructed of Wrexham-stone, filled in with Yorkshire “shoddies,” and the sides are to be in character with the front, but carried up in brickwork, being partly hidden by other buildings. The whole of the interior is to be filled in with commodious pews, the minister's platform is to be slightly elevated and surrounded with light wooden rails, standards and scrolls in cast-iron, and an arrangement made for the interior to serve as a font for the administration of baptism. The ceiling is to be a very prominent feature, with large cove four feet down the walls, resting on a largo cornice, with ornamental trusses at intervals, the central part is to be boarded, the whole formed into panels, intercepted with moulded pillars, and relieved with centre pieces, the junction of wood and piaster to have a perforated border forming one side of a tube for ventilating the whole building. There is to be a school-room connected with the chapel on the same level, 20 feet by 26 feet inside, and 15 feet high, with separate entrance from outside, and there are to minister and deacon's vestries, and a room for heating apparatus, the whole building to be heated with hot upon the most approved principle, and every ion has been paid to ventilation. The building stands from the street about five yards, such space to be enclosed with neat iron railing and massive stone gate piers. The design has been furnished by Mr. Richard Owens, architect, 14, Everton Village, Liverpool, the style adopted being Lombardic, slightly modified, and the whole work is to be carried out by Mr. J. Rhydwen Jones, builder, Cynval Villa, Rhyl, as sole contractor, under the superintendence of the architect, who added that he hoped they would have the pleasure of coming there again that time twelvemonth to open the chapel and see it in all its beauty and splendour.

A NEW WELSH BAPTIST CHAPEL - The Welsh Baptists in this town, who have for many years worshipped in a small chapel in Windsor-street, have so far prospered as to be able to undertake the responsibility of raising a very handsome new place of worship upon a convenient site in Water-street, at the estimated cost of £2,000 including land. The ceremony of laying the foundation stone was performed by Mrs. Stowell Brown (who was presented with a magnificent silver trowel and mallet) on Monday afternoon, in the presence of a large throng of spectators.  The architect, Mr. Richard Owens, Everton Village, Liverpool, read a description of the intended edifice, which is of the Lombardic style, slight)y mod[fled, the plan being a parallelogram, 54 feet by 36j feet inside, to contain sitting room for 350, and a gallery on the east end for 350 persons, such gallery to be carried over a spacious entrance vestibule. It is to be lighted with, four large windows, each side filled with obscure ground glass. The exterior part facing Water-street will consist of a central projecting porch with gabled roof, in which will be the principal doorway, deeply recessed with columns and foliated capitals on each side of the jambs. The central part of the facade over the porch will present an ornamental tripple window. The gallery staircases will be carried up in semi-circular turrets terminating at the top with spherical domes. The whole of the front and turrets are to be constructed of Wrexham stone fitted in with Yorkshire shoddies, and the sides are to be in character with the front, but carried up in brickwork. The ground of the interior is to be filled with commodious pews, the minister's platform to be slightly elevated and surrounded with light wooden rail, standards and scrolls in cast iron, and near which will be a font for the administration of baptism. The ceiling is to be a very prominent feature, with large cove 4 feet down the walls, resting on a large cornice with ornamental trusses at intervals. The central part of the ceiling is to be boarded, formed with panels, wire moulded mullions relieved with centre pieces, the junction of wood and plaster to have a perforated border, such border forming one side of a tube for ventilating the building. There is to be a schoolroom connected with the chapel on the same level; also ministeirs and deacons' vestries; and a room for a hot water heating apparatus upon the most approved principle. The entire work is to be carried out by our respected townsman, Mr. John Rhydwen Jones, Cynval Villa, as sole contractor, and having already given ample proofs of his skill in the construction of the Rhyl British Schools, and other public buildings, we have no hesitation in saying that he will give the utmost satisfaction in the performance of this contract both to the architect and the Chapel Committee. [ North Wales Chronicle 25 August 1866 page 3]

FLINTSHIRE. OPENING OF THE NEW WELSH BAPTIST CHAPEL AT RHYL. The Welsh Baptists were first established in this town in 1854, and although at no time a strong body they succeeded in maintaining their position with marked zeal and perseverance. In 1860 the Rev. J. G. Owen was elected their pastor, and he has continued in that sphere up to the present period, with pleasing results to the church and congregation. Their place of worship, a small and insignificant building, as compared with the other chapels in Rhyl, was situate in Windsor-street. The cause, however, prospered to such a degree as to render the edifice too small, and a desire to enlarge it or to erect a larger buildmg was expressed from time to time. They strove unitedly to attain their end; the pastor devoted himself to it with great courage, and imbued his friends with a like spirit.   A scheme of operations was decided upon, handsome subscriptions were premised, and so bright were the prospects as to guarantee the purchase of a site in a central part of the town (Water-street), and the erection of a new chapel at a cost of about £2200. The plans and specifications were prepared by Mr. R. Owen, architect, Breck-road, Liverpool, and the contract was let to Mr. John Rhydwen Jones, builder, Rhyl. The foundation stone was laid in July, 1866, and the chapel was completed in the first week of this month (a considerably shorter time than specified in the contract), and we may truly say it is one of the neatest chapels in the Principality. The plan of the building is a parallelogram, fifty-four feet by thirty- six feet inside, and it contains sitting-room for 350 persons, with a gallery over the entrance containing 100 sittings. The pews are of the most modern construction.  The edifice is lighted with four large windows each side, and a triple window in the principle facade. The former are filled with obscure sheet glass, and the latter with ornamental coloured glass. The minister's platform is constructed of the best pitch pine, and it is surrounded with a moulded rail fastened to foliated wrought iron standards, tinted white and gold. The inferior of the platform is arranged for a baptistry, built with brick and cement and lined with white glazed tiles which give it a very inviting appearance. The exterior portion of the chapel, facing Water- street, consists of a central projecting porch containing the principal doorway, and two octagonal wings containing the gallery staircases. These wings are also utilised as entrances to the schoolroom, vestries, and dwelling houses behind by a passage running through. The front has two large windows and a triple one; above, there is a very ornamental circular window, filled with stone tracery. The front doorway has also bold stave columns with foliated caps, and the entire front is relieved with strings, moulded base, neck moulds, &c., the whole executed from the best Wrexham stone, and filled in with Yorkshire shoddies. As before intimated there is a school-room twenty-seven feet by twenty-five feet at the back, and minister's and deacons' vestries, lavatory, and an effectual heating apparatus, all having entrances from the chapel; and a separate outside entrance. The front is enclosed with a neat iron railings and stone gate piers. The design was carried out under the superintendence of the architect, and the contractor has executed the whole work to the satisfaction of everyone concerned. The opening services commenced on Sunday, the 9th inst., [Carnarvon and Denbigh Herald 29 June 1867 page 8]

Because of a dwindling congregation who were mainly elderly the chapel closed and is now the Islamic Cultural Centre.

Reference    Carnarvon and Denbigh Herald 18 August 1866 page 6 – foundation
Reference    North Wales Chronicle 25 August 1866 page 3 - foundation
Reference    Carnarvon and Denbigh Herald 29 June 1867 page 8 - opening