Opening of a Wesleyan Chapel at Conisbro

Yesterday, opening services were celebrated in a chapel which has been recently erected for the use of the followers of John Wesley in Conisbro, whose number is now very considerable. The want of a building in which the worship of God might be more adequately conducted has been felt for some time; and the result of the exertions which were made to remedy it were yesterday acknowledged on all hands to be highly satisfactory. Conisbro is in the Doncaster circuit of the Wesleyan Connexion, from which place it is distant about six miles; and the Rev. E. Smith is the resident minister.

The new building is situated in a thoroughfare known as Endwell Lane, and is built of red brick, with white stone dressings. The enclosure between the chapel and the road has been turfed, and a dwarf fir-tree has been planted on either side of the stone footway leading to it. The style of architecture is a modification of the Italian, and the front is divided into three bays, the centre one being crowned with an entablature above a neat cornice, and the others terminating with pediments. The entrance, which is in the centre of the building, opens into a vestibule, at either end of which are staircases leading up to the gallery, and wherein are two entrances communicating with the two aisles of the chapel.

In form it is a parallelogram, segmental at the vestibule end. In conformity with these arrangements, the seats are arranged in segments, which become gradually more and more curved in the middle block as they approach the rostrum, on either side of which the seats of the side blocks are extended. The gallery runs all round the building, and is supported on iron columns with ornamental capitals. At the back of the chapel is the accommodation usually provided for the minister. In front of the rostrum a semi-circular space has been reserved, a mahogany balustrade running round it, for the communion table, which has not at present been provided, and in front of it a neat clock has been placed in the side of the gallery, to remind the minister officiating of the flight of time.

The seats, &c., have been made of the conventional pitch pine, but the sides of the gallery and the tops of the seats are fitted with mahogany. The front of the rostrum has been similarly treated, and the contrast to the lighter wood creates and leaves upon the spectator an impression of warmth and comfort, which is heightened by the red fittings, with which the building is at present only partially provided. Advantage has been taken of the circumstance that the ground forming the site slopes away from the road to construct in the basement a large school room and two class rooms, with the usual lobbies or vestries. Notwithstanding the difficulties of the ground, the schoolroom is both light and airy. It is entered at the back of the building, and communication with the Endwell Lane is maintained by means of a passage running on one side of the chapel.

The seats have been arranged to accommodate 500, which is about double the number held by the building formerly used by the denomination, and the whole affair has been erected at a cost of about £3400, of which about £800 or £900 had still to be raised before the services yesterday. Of course, under the present circumstances, there has been no money to spare for an outlay upon an instrument worthy of the building to accompany the musical devotions of the congregation, but a space has been left in the gallery at the back of the rostrum, which we may hope one day to see occupied by an organ harmonising with the interior. At present this space is occupied by a small harmonium, in front of which stood yesterday a choir which have been fairly trained by Mr. Ferdinand. The chapel is lighted with gas, and will be warmed in the usual manner.

The work has been carried out from the designs of Messrs. John Loxon and Sons, Barnsley, and great satisfaction was expressed not only with the completeness of the design, but also with the substantiality of its execution. The contractors were: for the builders’ work, Messrs. Downing and Twybeay; joiners’ work, Messrs. Appleyard and Sons; slating, Mr. Samuel Gregory, Doncaster; plastering, Mr. Gummer, of Rotherham; and iron work, Messrs. Kenworthy, Atkinson, and Co.

The opening services were very largely attended both by members of the denomination resident in Conisbro and by friends from a distance. The chapel was declared open by the Rev. Dr. Pope, the president of the Wesleyan Conference, who took the principal part in the service, and preached the first sermon, taking for his text Acts ii., 3: “And there appeared unto them cloven tongues as of fire, and it sat upon each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost.” Tea was afterwards provided on an extensive scale in the school room at which a very large number of persons sat down. In the evening a public meeting was held, at which Mr. Batty presided.