The formation of the Welsh Baptist Church in Ammanford originated in c.1848 with a group of fifteen Baptists reportedly meeting in a house on Field Street, whilst also attending services at Saron and Llandyfan. On 14th November 1849, the fifteen members agreed to establish a church in Ammanford and began to raise funds to erect a chapel; on Christmas Day of the same year, three, possibly four, members were baptised in the river Aman. Funds were raised and by 1850 the first chapel had been completed, erected by Thomas Evans of Llandybie for the sum of £300. The chapel had been designed by William Thomas of Llanelli and is reported to have measured 36' wide by 32' long, complete with a gallery. In the following year the 1851 Religious Census records the chapel to have 60 free seats, 138 others and standing room for 50, with the morning service attracting 560, whilst the evening bought in 100. By 1877 the chapel had become too small, which lead to the construction of a new chapel with vestry. It was built by Thomas Jones, a member of the church, to the sum of £817.4.3. In 1895 the chapel was extended to make room for a growing congregation, the design favoured were those produced by a Mr. Tracey of Glanaman. The builder for this phase of the chapels development was D. Jenkins of Swansea, with the cost amounting to £815.0.5. for new furnishings and structural alterations. In 1923 a further renovation programme would extend the vestry, remodel the interior and facade, and install a new organ, all of which cost the chapel £1,700. During the 1960s the caretaker's house was demolished to make way for a car park, with part of the land being bought by the local council. It was during this time that the wall around the buildings, car park and graveyard was erected.

Since the church's founding the members of Ebeneser became responsible for establishing further chapels in the villages surrounding Ammanford. These included Bethel Sunday School, Pant-y-ffynnon in 1904; the English Baptist Church in 1905; Pisga, Pen-y-banc Sunday School in 1893 and the chapel in 1912; and Seion, `Zeion Zinc?, Tir-y-dail in 1913.

The church is constructed in the gable entry fashion in a Classical style. The facade is faced with limestone ashlars, with large round-headed windows. To the top of the facade is a small, stained glass, ocular window. The lateral walls and vestry are both rendered and painted white. The interior houses a U form gallery, with two rows deep to the lateral walls and four to the gable end. The ceiling is decorated with stained pine panelling, ornate iron painted vents and plain plasterwork to the alcoves.

Ross Cook, RCAHMW. June 2013




Ebeneser Baptist Church was built in 1849 and rebuilt in 1877. The windows and interior were later remodelled in 1924 to the design of architect John Owen Parry of Ammanford. The present chapel, dated 1877, is built in the Classical style with a gable-entry plan.

RCAHMW, January 2011