Map:https://map.cornwall.gov.uk/website/ccmap/?zoomlevel=9&xcoord=156707&ycoord=37840&wsName=ccmap&layerName=Buildings,%20Sites%20and%20Monuments%20-%20points
This profile of Copperhouse Wesleyan Chapel has been compiled by Jo Lewis and Tony Mansell.
Wesley preached at ‘the Hayle’ in 1765. The Cornish Copper Company were building residential properties in Copperhouse by 1779, including some along what had been the Bodriggy foreshore, which were built from Scoria (slag from the copper smelting operation and Scoria Blocks are a direct link to the smelting of copper on the site, reflecting both industrial activity and the social history of the area.
1785 Hayle Copperhouse Preaching House
Located in Market Square (now Fore Street).
The first Preaching House was built in 1785 and John Wesley later preached there.
Heritage Gateway: The site of the first Methodist chapel, built in 1785 in Copperhouse was located in the Market Square, Copperhouse. Replaced by a new Weslyan Chapel built in 1816 elsewhere in Copperhouse, the building was demolished in 1820.
https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MCO33419&resourceID=1020
The Copperhouse Wesleyan Preaching house was the private property of the Cornish Copper Company (CCC). Eight of the thirteen Trustees at Copperhouse had CCC connections, including Hanibal Ellis, a partner, while three of the fourteen Trustees at Foundry had Harvey connections. This helps understand the history of the Hayle Methodists as these two dominant industries in Hayle caused great division in the town. (See also Foundry Chapel). The parish was centred around the then needs of the Harvey iron foundry at the western end of Hayle, whilst the eastern end of the town was where the Cornish Copper Company was based.
1820: Chapel demolished.
1798 Sunday School
This Sunday school is included in Cornish Story: http://cornishstory.com/2021/09/02/mapping-methodism-hayle-phillack-methodist-sunday-school/
Phillack Church Hall is a late 18th century slag block building used as a Sunday school for the chapel which used to be opposite. Later it was a volunteer drill hall and then converted to a church hall in 1912.
Phillack Church Hall stands on the wharves. Although it was re-fronted in 1913, and carries a dated inscription to that effect, it is in fact 18th century, the main body of the building is a single large, scoria built hall, and was used in 1798 as the Sunday School for the first Methodist Meeting House that stood south of market Square. From about 1860 until the building of the new Drill Hall in 1911 it was used as a drill hall. It is still used as a community hall.
1816 Copperhouse Wesleyan Chapel
Located in Chapel Lane below the junction with Prospect Place.
1816: It was built with an attached school and also had a library and lecture hall. This galleried chapel, with a library and lecture hall, was built to replace the 1785 Preaching House in Market Square where John Wesley had preached.
Scoria blocks from the 1785 Preaching House were incorporated into the building.
The Chapel had a very striking galleried building and pictures can be found on line in the Nostalgic Hayle Facebook group, My Wesleyan Methodists and Phillack Geneology sites [references at end]
1816: New Methodist Chapel at Copperhouse on Monday 24th June. (Royal Cornwall Gazette – Saturday 15 June 1816)
Heritage Gateway : The site of Wesleyan chapel which was built early 1816 to replace the older, round chapel in Fore Street [167], (C. Noall, The Book of Hayle, 1984, 34), remodelled late C19, vacant for many years, demolished 1998. Was a significant example of a town chapel with full gallery. The boundary walls of scoria block still stand, item [525]. On the modern Mastermap (2006) the site has been redeveloped. Listed in Stell (b1). https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MCO32762&resourceID=1020
Kresen Kernow documents: https://kresenkernow.org/SOAP/search/copperhouse%20wesleyan/
[Church records for Copperhouse Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Hayle, 1819-1981. https://libcat.familysearch.org/Record/34623 and 1818-1837 (Kew) https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2490334]
1859: Draft demise of site for Phillack Wesleyan Sunday School and Day Schools but registered again in 1860s (possible rebuild?) later known as the Copperhouse Wesleyan Schools.
(Photo: David Philp)
1873: Proposed alterations and additions by John Trounson, architect, Penzance.
The schoolroom(s) were altered over time with establishment of Sunday and Day schools.
1892: Three plans for additional classrooms and vestries, by James Hicks, architect, Redruth.
1905: Plan of new wing for Hayle Copperhouse Wesleyan Schools.
1907: Proposed alterations to front of chapel by Sampson Hill, architect, Redruth.
1911: The school was leased by Trustees of the Wesleyan School, Copperhouse, to Cornwall County Council for 25 years.
1921: Agreement for a right of way from Market Street to the Wesleyan chapel.
1932: The Wesleyan, Primitive Methodist and the United Methodist Church amalgamated to become the Methodist Church of Great Britain.
1932: Became Copperhouse Methodist Chapel.
1940: Seating for 750 (Revd David Easton)
Services were held at Copperhouse until 1972, when the congregation moved to the new built Hayle Methodist Church as all the denominations and chapels united the same year.
1998: The chapel and attached school were demolished although the boundary walls of scoria black still remain.
The site is now residential.
Further research documents:
https://dmbi.online/index.php?do=app.entry&id=3585
https://kresenkernow.org/SOAP/search/RelatedNameCode.keyword/CRO%7CUK%7C1108/
http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~phillack/genealogy/copperhouse.htm
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1389945024615259/posts/2987266738216405/?comment_id=2991416601134752
Foundry Chapel (1846). http://cornishstory.com/2021/09/02/mapping-methodism-hayle-foundry-wesleyan-chapel/