| Description | Former Zion Baptist Chapel, Wadsworth. Baptist chapel built c.1882.
The former Zion Baptist Chapel was the subject of a planning application in 2002 for the change of use from a chapel to an art gallery (Calderdale Council planning reference number 02/01867/COU). A specification was placed on the application for the production of a photographic record of the building in accordance with a written scheme of investigation. The specification for building recording was provided by Peter Thornborrow (Senior Historic Buildings Officer, WYAS) in 2003. The specification provides a description of the building and its archaeological interest. Although the chapel is of a relatively late date being built c.1882, it is considered significant enough to be listed in Stell, C. (RCHME) 1994. 'Nonconformist Chapels and Meeting Houses in Northern England' (page 268). The chapel is built in an Italianate style with a five bay symmetrical facade, each bay with arch headed windows and a central arch headed doorway. Gable fronted to the street, it gable is decoratively treated with a modillion cornice/coping and a central plaque set in its tympanum inscribed 'Zion AD 1881'. Its setting is much enhanced by the iron railings to its front. Set below it, in its basement, are two dwelling houses. The building is built to take advantage of the steep hillside it is built on, as up and over double decker dwellings. This provides a two storey house to the rear with the former chapel occupying the two storeys above.
The entrance doorway to the chapel leads into a small lobby that retains its original doors (with etched glazing) to either side, leading directly into a chapel under a gallery at the entrance end. At the opposite end is the rostrum/pulpit area with a small enclosed 'prayer room' to either side. The original baptismal font has a trap door set over steps that lead down to the former font. The whole is enclosed behind decorative cast iron railings. Running around the room is a boarded dado with a border decorated by quatrefoils. It has a four bay roof with collared trusses, the feet of which are supported on stone corbels. Each ceiling bay has a decorative square ventilator set in a ceiling. The gallery has a brass rail to its front and three stepped stages, the lower two with fixed seating, and the top with loose benched.
The aim of the photographic record, as described in the specification was to make a general survey of the interior of the building with a few exterior establishing shots to show its setting.
(Thornborrow, P.H. (WYAS). 2003).
WYAAS archives holds a set of photographic prints of the former Zion Chapel produced by P. Simpson which are dated to October 2003 and a set of photographic slides attributed C. Deighton also of October 2003 (Simpson, P. 2003 and Deighton, C. 2003) |