Prior to 1870 the area was heavy woodland, but the opening of the Penrhiwceiber Colliery in 1878 saw its rapid expansion into a thriving village.

[3] Other thoughts refer to the word ceiber, which means joist, beam or rafter and may suggest a place where timber was plentiful, which would certainly describe the area, which was a heavy woodland, before the coming of the coal trade.

[6] After facing problems such as running water and soft sand beds, the first commercial coal was raised from the mine in 1879, though the pit was serviced by a simple wooden headgear with a single rope.

This growth was to continue into the 20th century until in 1920 the Kelly's Trade Directory was able to list over one hundred commercial properties for Penrhiwceiber, as well as railway stations (Penrhiwceiber railway station) on both the Great Western and Taff Vale railways, religious buildings including Carmel Chapel (1880), Moriah Chapel, Bethel Eglwys-y-Wesleyaid (1884), Saint Winifred's Church (Welsh: Eglwys Santes Gwenffrewi) (1883), and the Penrhiwceiber Workmen's Hall and Institute (Welsh: Neuadd a Sefydliad y Gweithwyr Penrhiwceibr) built in 1888.

Penrhiwceiber Workmen's Hall and Institute (Welsh: Sefydliad a Neuadd y Gweithwyr Penrhiwceibr) was opened in the village in 1888 and restored in 1992.

[12] There were a number of nonconformist chapels at Penrhiwceiber including Jerusalem (Baptist), Carmel (Independent) and Hermon (Calvinistic Methodist).

[13] In a surprise result at the May 2017 council elections, veteran Labour councillor Jane Ward lost her seat to Gavin Williams, of the new Cynon Valley Party.