Park Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Brighouse stood on Bethel Street, Brighouse.
A Wesleyan chapel and Sunday School was built in 1795 on land bought by William Stockwell. It accommodated around 200 worshippers.
Around 1799, when the Methodists split, the New Connexion took possession of the Chapel and continued to worship their, and the Wesleyans moved to worship at Ivy House Farm, Hove Edge.
In 1811, following a decision by the Court of Chancery, which ruled that their Conference was the rightful owner, the Wesleyans moved back to the Park Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, and the New Connexion used the chapel at 22 Bethel Street.
The Sunday school was built in 1822/7 and stands next door. The Chapel was extended in 1825.
In 1849, following the Fly Sheets controversy, a number of Wesleyans moved to St Paul's Methodist Chapel, Brighouse and Park Chapel became a Wesleyan Reform Chapel.
In 1870, a Band of Hope Society was formed. It closed in 1928.
In 1873, the Wesleyan Conference handed the Chapel over to the United Methodist Free Churches.
On 5th July 1876, the last sermon was preached and the chapel and Sunday School closed. It was demolished in 1876.
The present building was designed by R. F. Rogerson and opened on 27th June 1878. The French Château design is similar to that of Lands House, Rastrick. The chapel was amongst the first to be lit by gas.
On 26th August 1879, it was registered for the solemnisation of marriages.
The organ was inaugurated on 5th May 1883. The cost – including the organ – was £10,000.
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Significant members of the Chapel have included
In 1907, the Methodists moved to the Central Methodist Chapel, Brighouse.
In 1982, Park and several other Methodist congregations merged to form the Central Methodist Church.
The Chapel closed in 1983.
There were several proposals for the building. These included conversion into sheltered accommodation for the elderly with shops to be built on the land in Park Street [1985]. It eventually became an indoor market.
The market closed in 1999 and – after considerable opposition from Methodists and others – it was converted into the Richard Oastler pub on 23rd November 1999.
The Sunday School was a Café [2007], then an extension of the Richard Oastler pub [2012]
See Jonas Clayton, Finkil Chapel, Hove Edge, Wesleyan Methodist and Thomas Whiteley
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