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Zion Welsh Baptist Church
What's on this page:
- Overview
- Highlights of construction and opening of Zion Welsh Baptist Church
- Partial timeline glimpses from news articles
At top left: I have not seen a photograph of the Zion Welsh Baptist church as it existed 1892-1900, but the photo at top left shows that church building after it had been renovated, re-dedicated, and opened as St. Anthony’s in 1901.
Overview
As early as 1890, there was a group of Welsh Baptists in Freeland who were meeting in the Woodside schoolhouse. Preachers who spoke at the Upper Lehigh Welsh Baptist church would also tack on an additional service at the Woodside school. For example, see this news note from May 24, 1890 in the timeline, below. That year the fledgling congregation began fundraising for a church of their own. In 1891 they arranged to hold weekly services at Donop’s Hall (Ridge and Walnut streets, across from where Bethel Baptist would be built the next year). In spring of 1892 they were able to buy land on Fern street near St. Mary’s; in August they solicited contractors’ bids, and in September the job was awarded to L. H. Lentz. Groundbreaking happened in October, and the building was completed enough by the end of 1892 for services to begin to be held there, although the actual completion, dedication and cornerstone ceremony did not take place until August 1893. By 1900 the church had closed and it was purchased by the new St. Anthony’s congregation.
Where does the name come from? I don’t know how the name Zion was chosen. Although the news articles of the day called this church as the Welsh Baptist church, it was also referred to as the Zion Welsh Baptist church (e.g., in 1897 directory, 1900 Sanborn map, Charles Stumpf’s Freeland book p. 15-16).
Highlights of construction and opening of Zion Welsh Baptist
The church building for the Zion Welsh Baptist Church
was built on Fern street in 1892-1893. The Bethel Baptist Church on
Ridge and Walnut was also built around the same time. Services were
conducted mostly in Welsh at Zion and in English at Bethel; the
churches were sometimes referred to as the Welsh Baptist and English
Baptist churches. Freeland Tribune August 25, 1892 (at left): Advertisement for proposals from contractors to build a church, also giving the planned dimensions of the building. Local contractor Lewis H. Lentz won the contract, as reported at right.
News article November 30, 1892:About seven weeks later it was reported that "Work on the new Welsh Baptist church, which is being erected on Fern street, Freeland, is being pushed very rapidly. The wood work is completed and the interior is now being finished up. The church will be ready for occupancy by January 1, 1893." As shown below, in November 1892 there were three new churches under construction in Freeland in 1892: Zion Welsh Baptist, St. Paul’s Primitive Methodist (being moved from Jeddo), and St. John’s Catholic. Not mentioned in that brief article was another, also under construction that year: Bethel Baptist.
News article, August 17, 1893: Welsh
Baptist Church “The corner stone of the Welsh Baptist church, which was dedicated on Sunday, was laid on Monday afternoon. The following clergymen took part in the exercises: Rev Allan J. Morton, of Kingston; Rev. J. V. Davis and J. F. Lloyd, or Wilkes-Barre; and Rev. J. H. Evans, of Slatington. The seats arrived on Tuesday and are capable of seating 220 persons. They are now being put in place. The church and its furnishings is clear of debt excepting the cost of the seats. The committee is under obligations to Mrs. Reynolds for a donation of a half-dozen pulpit chairs; to John Williams, of the Hazleton book store, for a bible; to a friend for the carpet; a handsome clock from Wm. Wehrman; and the chandelier and sidelamps from Thomas Birkbeck and friends of the church. The building is handsomely finished and reflects great credit on the congregation and the committee having it in charge. Three services were held daily from Saturday afternoon until Monday evening.”
I don’t know
why the Zion cornerstone was not laid down at the beginning of
construction. Was a space left in the building to insert it after it
was determined whether the date would be 1892 or 1893? The building was
later purchased by St. Anthony’s, and shown here are the St. Anthony's
cornerstones, one dated 1901 and 1921, the other 1940. The location of
the original Zion cornerstone is unknown. 
Freeland Tribune December 31, 1900: Bought a ChurchThe Zion Welsh Baptist church closed less than 10 years after opening and the building was bought by St. Anthony's congregation. Although St. Anthony’s bought this church building in 1900 for their new church, opened in 1901, the cornerstone that I saw there was dated 1921 (renovation) and 1940 (rebuilding).
Partial timeline glimpses from news articles
1890:
5-24-1890 – Rev. S. S. Jones preached in both Welsh (morning) and English (evening) in Upper Lehigh, and would go to Woodside the next Sunday to “preach in the Woodside School house for the Welsh Baptists, morning and evening.”
12-4-1890 – A fair and festival “for the benefit of the Welsh Baptist Church, of Woodside”, will be held at Donop’s Hall, Freeland, Jan. 14-17, 1891 …
1891:
1-8-1891 - A fair and festival “for the benefit of the Welsh Baptist Church, of Woodside”, will be held at the Rink Building, Freeland, Jan. 14-17, 1891 …
7-2-1891 – The congregation of the Welsh Baptist Church have secured Donop’s Hall and will hold services there every Sunday at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
1892:
2-11-1892 – Benefit concert at Donop’s Hall; Wm. T. Williams and Griffith Pritchard of Slatington were present and spoke; watch contest …
4-28-1892 – Land purchase for the church on Fern street advertised.
7-18-1892 – List
of church services. At this time when the two Baptist
churches were being built, the Bethel Baptist congregation was meeting
at Lindsay’s Hall at Front and Washington streets, and the Zion Welsh
Baptist congregation was meeting at Donop’s Hall (coincidentally across
the street from the new Bethel Baptist church). 8-25-1892 – Builders invited to bid to build a church for the Welsh Baptist Church of Freeland; dimensions given in the article; deadline Sept. 1; building committee listed.
9-5-1892 – Contract awarded to Lewis H. Lentz.
10-6-1892 – Freeland’s Twelfth Church – Ground broken yesterday for the foundation of the Welsh Baptist Church …
12-8-1892 – Large hot-air heater being installed by Thomas Birkbeck.
12-29-1892 – Church to open on Sunday; Rev. Allen J. Morton of Kingston to officiate.
1893:
6-5-1893 – “A handsome chandelier has been placed in the Welsh Baptist church on Fern street.”
5-11-1893 – Welsh Baptist church benefit fair opens at the church on Fern street; will continue open every night, except Sundays, until May 29. All invited, admission fee five cents, all attendees eligible for prize drawing each evening. “An elegant supper or oysters will be served to any person wishing the same.”
8-14-1893 – “The corner stone of the Welsh Baptist church will be laid at 2:30 o’clock today. … Rev. Henry Lewis, of Swansea, Wales, will be present this afternoon and conduct the ceremonies of the corner stone laying.” The church was also dedicated at this time.
11-2-1893 – “Services at Welsh Baptist church, Fern street: Sunday school at 10:30 a.m.; Welsh preaching at 2 p.m., when the ordinance of baptism will be administered on several; and preaching in English at 7 p.m. Rev. A. J. Morton will officiate.”
[I don’t have later articles about the Zion church at present. – CT]
1900:
12-31-1900 – The recently formed congregation of St. Anthony’s has purchased the vacant Welsh Baptist church building on Fern street. [approximately 8 years after Zion first opened – CT]
Thank you to Ed Merrick for research and clippings.