Name: Zion Baptist Tabernacle

Denomination: English Baptist

Built: 1801
Rebuilt: 1881

Photography: John Ball
Date: 18 June 2009
Camera: Nikon D50 digital SLR

Note 1: Zion Baptist Tabernacle of 1881 was built by George Morgan of Carmarthen costing £8000. The memorial stones were laid on 17 August 1881; the Baptist choir sang, and the Minister Rev J. W. Williams of Derby gave a history of the Baptists in the county and claimed that the church had 364 communicants and 550 scholars and teachers. It is an imposing three storey building with a basement. The classical front in brick and freestone has a shaped gable above a huge Corinthian facade. In front is a portico and pediment. The interior is very lavish with a raked gallery on iron columns and a fine ironwork front. The basement was the schoolroom. It was heated by hot air and lit by gas and was designed to accommodate 1,334 people. [Adapted from Town Trails - Places of Worship on the Official Newtown Website] Note 2: Built in 1801, enlarged 1814, 1821 and 1837, rebuilt 1881, architect G. Morgan of Carmarthen. [Extracted from the Coflein database (NPRN 11282)] Note 3: For biographical details of architect George Morgan of Carmarthen, see page 6 of the PDF version of Capel - Newsletter No. 11, published by the Chapels Heritage Society, Summer 1990.]