The story starts when George Whitefield, a preacher, provided £20 to John Cennick, a local preacher, to construct a meeting house, with the instruction that it was not to be “too large or too handsome”. By early 1742, the meeting house was open for use. From May 1743, John Cennick established a free school there for the children of local colliers.  

Throughout its history, the Tabernacle has been known by several names and has served multiple purposes. It functioned not only as a schoolroom and church but also as a base for the local Home Guard, a sorting office for Christmas mail, and a polling station. It also provided a home for various youth organizations, with neighbours recalling their time attending as Guides, Brownies, and members of the Boys’ Brigade.  

The original Tabernacle was extended in 1802 and 1830 to accommodate a growing congregation. In 1850, due to the need for more space, work commenced on a large Gothic-style church, completed in 1851 and converted into flats in 2022. This 1851 building, known as the ‘Masters Church’ (named after architect Henry Masters), was used by the Whitfield United Reformed Church until 1983. At that point, with reduced membership, they returned to using the original Tabernacle.  

By 1992, the Tabernacle had deteriorated significantly, forcing the congregation to merge with the United Church on Regent Street and put the Tabernacle site up for sale. This led to 30 years of decline, turning a historically important building into a ruin.