The Victorian period saw a tremendous growth in the Nonconformist congregations in Wales. These consisted of people who did not feel the Church of England was for them. They particularly attracted working people who felt more at home coming together with other people like them to build a chapel for themselves and worship together in their own way. Many of these chapels held all their services in Welsh and all the hymns and Bible readings were in the language. In the countryside particularly where many spoke little English this was important.

The Baptists had a chapel in Market Street for many years rebuilding it twice in the 19th century to make room for more congregation.
In 1899 they built a fine new chapel with a spire in West Street (see left). Many of the visitors to the town came from South Wales where there were thousands of Nonconformist chapels and the many chapels in Builth opened their doors to the visitors.
The Horeb Congregational Chapel (right) was built in 1869 by a Manchester architect for £1800. It was built on the site of an earlier chapel and it too had a spire which was visible from a long way off making Horeb Chapel something of a local landmark.