Recently some new flats have come up for sale in Red Lion Street, Chesham in a former church building. The building holds a fascinating history.

Temperance

The story starts with Chesham Temperance movement (see BFP Nostalgia 12th April 2020). Chesham Temperance Hall was built in 1852, and the Temperance movement was very strong in Chesham.

Many people took the pledge not to drink alcohol. The movement was particularly strong amongst the non-conformist congregations of the town.

Rev Free

Rev Alfred George Free (1832-1921) was employed as assistant pastor at the Particular Lower Baptist church in Punchbowl Lane (later called Hinton Baptist church).

In 1865 when the pastor died he became the full-time pastor. During that time there was a disagreement over whether to allow non-alcoholic communion wine. In April 1866 Rev Free left over the disagreement along with many members of the congregation.

Chesham Free Church

These teetotal Christians, along with others from other churches, met at the Temperance Hall and they looked to Rev Free for leadership. In June 1867 a meeting was held when it was formally decided to form a new church and employ Rev Alfred George Free as their pastor.

At first it was known as the “Free church”, which may have been a Chesham pun on his name. Chesham Town Hall was used for their church services.

By 1872 they had 104 members and the Town Hall was too small. It was not affiliated to any particular denomination but its preachers tended to be associated with the Baptists and Primitive Methodists. The church was very evangelical and appealed to the working classes.

Zion Chapel

In 1872 some land was purchased in Red Lion Street and a plain single storey building called Zion Chapel was opened on 28th October 1873. The chapel was named for the biblical term Zion.

Mount Zion was originally a hill in Jerusalem, but was later used in the Psalms, and thus also later some English hymns, as a poetic reference for Jerusalem itself. It was a common name for chapels in the Victorian era. There is also a Mount Zion Baptist Chapel in High Wycombe.

God’s Acre

Along with the Lower Baptist chapel in Punchbowl Lane, and the Townfield Yard Strict Baptist chapel (which later moved to Newtown in 1914), this was the third Christian chapel on the same acre of land off Red Lion Street. Chesham people nicknamed it “God’s Acre”.

Rev Free leaves

In 1875 Rev Free left Zion to become pastor of Naphill Mission Hall, but kept up links with Chesham. Later in the 1880s his son George Free came back to the Chesham area to run Hawridge Mission Hall.

Zion Baptist Church

In 1877 the Zion Free Church accepted an invitation to join the Bucks Baptist Association, and it became Zion Baptist Church. The church grew and had many groups. In 1888 Zion Chapel was enlarged when galleries were added. In the 1890s bands of “Zionites” visited local villages and preachers from Zion often spoke in village churches, and Young Men’s meetings were held every Monday night.

Back Hall added

In 1897 the property behind the chapel was purchased. This was demolished ready for a lecture hall and Sunday School rooms. On 25th August 1897 the foundation stone was laid by Pastor Charles Spurgeon (1856-1926), son of the famous Baptist preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892).

This stone call still be seen on the side of the building up White Lion Yard. In 1908 Zion reported to the Bucks Baptist Association that it had 170 members, 23 Sunday School teachers, 149 children in Sunday School and 2 local preachers as well as a Minister. In 1932 the Chapel was overhauled and modernised.

Great War Memorial

There was a sad memorial in the chapel to an uncle and nephew - 2 members of the Keen family, who were Zion members, who died in the Great War. Corporal Percy John Keen of the Royal Engineers was killed by a shell near Messines on 4th June 1917 aged 42.

He was a builder and lived at Moorland View in Bois Moor Road in Chesham. He had played half-back for Chesham United. Lt Corporal Sydney George Keen of the 3rd Battalion Grenadier Guards died on 4th April 1918 in Rouen hospital of wounds received in action. He was just 19 years old. He was the son of William George and Clara Keen who lived at Shantung Place on Moor Road in Waterside. His father was a builder and undertaker.

Merger with Hinton

However by the 1960s the Zion congregation could no longer afford to maintain their own building or afford to pay for their own pastor, and so they decided to join with another congregation.

On April 21st 1968 Zion Baptist Church and Hinton Baptist Church decided to unite their congregations. They started a new church and adopted the name Trinity Baptist Church. At first morning services were held at Hinton Chapel and evening services were held at Zion Chapel. Later they decided to use

Zion Hall for community groups such as the Scouts and the South Bucks Jewish Community, and Hinton Chapel was used for the church services.

The former Zion pews went to Ley Hill Methodist Church and the pulpit went to Hivings Free Church, where it is still used. The memorials in the chapel were transferred to Hinton Chapel.

Zion Hall sold

In 2004 Trinity Baptist Church decided to sell the building and use the money to modernise and update their main buildings in Punchbowl Lane. The site was sold to local developers Ash Mill, who converted the back rooms into flats in 2007.

Zion Hall Flats

The old chapel was recently converted into attractive flats which have been up for sale called Zion Hall Flats.

This recent development consists of 5 two-bedroom flats and a studio style single bedroom mezzanine apartment. These maintain the period features and are in keeping with the heritage of the building.