Barrowford Zion Primitive Methodist chapels

Barrowford was the head of a Primitive Methodist station. The Pendle and Burnley branch of  The Lancashire Family History & Heraldry Society, which tells us that the society had met from 1821, identifies two chapels on Church Street, both of which still exist.

The earlier chapel, now  in residential use as numbers 38-40 Church Street, was opened in 1836.

The return from Barrowford Primitive Methodist chapel to the 1851 Census of Places of Public Religious worship locates it in “Barrowford Booth, Bank Stile”. The chapel held over 300 peope, a majority in free seats; afternoon attendance on Census Sunday was 63 in the afternoon and 91 in the evening.  There was a morning Sunday school for 124 scholars. The return was completed by the society steward, William Rushton.

This chapel served until 1873, at which point it was sold.

The later chapel was called Zion. It is directly across the road from the first chapel, but although the foundation stones were laid in 1871, the building gave way and had to be rebuilt.

A note on a Flickr picture tells us the second chapel closed on 13th September, 1956.  In 2020 the building is in commercial use as the offices of AI Process Systems Ltd..

Reference

Pendle and Burnley branch of  The Lancashire Family History & Heraldry Society at https://www.lfhhs-pendleandburnley.org.uk/church/xbar1.htm#Barrowford%20-%20BAR.PM.01   accessed November 5th 2020