Radnor Congregational United Church of Christ

Radnor Congregational United Church of Christ. Radnor Heritage Society. , Originally called The The Welsh Calvinistic Congregational Bethel Church of Delhi, the name was shortened later to The Radnor Congregation Church and finally to its current name. Radnor Congregational United Church of Christ. The early church came out of the Congregational prayer meetings in homes starting in 1820 with Rev James Davis giving sermons only in Welsh. The first building was frame construction erected in 1841. It was replaced by the current brick structure in 1864 with 260 members at a cost of $3000. The contractor was Thomas Griffith. Hand shaped bricks made from clay from the NW portion of the property were used in construction. In 1905 a distinctive wooden portico was added to the front of the structure and the beautiful and significant stained-glass memorial windows were installed. The honored sponsoring families were all Welsh immigrants or first-generation Welsh Americans. In the early years the sanctuary was lighted with a large and imposing chandelier suspended by a rope and pulley for lighting. In 1918,the church was wired for electricity with the chandelier converted accordingly. A major event occurred in 1948 when the church joined a national denominational merger and became The Radnor Congregational United Church of Christ. At this time a one-story room for Sunday school expansion was added to the rear of the building. Additional improvements to the interior were made over the years to include central heating, redecorated sanctuary, choir balcony, new pews, kitchen and restroom.