Our next chapel is one of the oldest and one of the largest chapels in Merthyr – Zion Baptist Chapel, Twynyrodyn.
After the early non-conformist worshippers started meeting at Ynysgau Chapel, the various groups started to split.
In 1710, the Baptists had already built a chapel in Hengoed, and in about 1740, Mr David Lewis – one of the assisting ministers at Hengoed, moved to Merthyr and he soon started holding meetings at his home. In 1786 it is recorded that five or six people were baptised in the River Taff near the Iron Bridge, and it was roughly at this time that the Baptist members of Ynysgau decided to leave and join the group who had been worshipping with David Lewis.
They decided to build their own chapel and work was begun in June 1788, and the chapel was completed in February the following year. Rev Edward Evans, who had been a minister in Carmarthen had recently moved to Merthyr to work in the Iron Works, and he was asked to become Zion’s first minister.
Within a short time however, Rev Evans moved to Hengoed to take charge of the chapel there. The congregation heard of a young preacher named William Price in Carmarthen who had just finished his studies at the Theological College in Bristol. They asked him to come to Zion in 1792 and he was ordained in June of that year. A number of the congregation objected to him however, and a split occurred in the congregation which resulted in William Price and his followers leaving the chapel and starting the cause at Ebenezer Chapel.
Rev Edward Evans immediately returned to Merthyr and took over as Zion’s minister once more. The cause went from strength to strength, and at this time Rev Evans and two of his assistants, David Davies and David Jones established the cause at Bethel, Ynysfelin (later Cwmtaff). Rev Edwards left Zion in 1797.
Under subsequent ministries, the congregation grew and the chapel was extended in 1807 at a cost of £360, and again in 1814.
The chapel was completely rebuilt in 1842 the architect being T H Watt of London, and in 1861 a plot of land was purchased from Mr David Robert Davies in Mountain Hare for £20 and a school room was built there.
In 1892 it was decided to completely renovate the inside of the chapel, building a gallery around three walls, and moving the pulpit in front of the magnificent organ new organ designed by Harrison & Harrison of Durham – one of the finest pipe organs in the borough. The work was carried out in 1900-02 at a cost of almost £4000.
In 1979 a severe storm damaged the roof of the chapel, and the ceiling collapsed on to the organ.
An appeal was launched to raise money to repair the organ, and more than £2000 was raised through donations and also a concert given by the Cefn Coed Male Voice Choir and the tenor Keith Jones.
The organ was repaired by Mr Balch of Cardiff and was finally ready for use by 1984.
Since the early 1990’s services have been held in the vestry, and the chapel has sadly fallen into a very bad state of repair, and has been closed due to health and safety reasons. In December 2013, due to dwindling numbers and the need for unaffordable repairs, the sad decision was made to close the chapel.
