Show ure 7 k y A N z Z 0 or N 3 1 7 by ELMO SCOTT WATSON others slag sing of the nn dent clent cathedrals of the L old world or the mighty knighty structures dedicated to religion which are rising in some of the grent great population centers of this country mine aline be the theme of the little churches which are scattered throughout the united states little white painted frame churches that you find dud standing on a small plot of ground along some country road little red brick churches tucked away on some village side street quaint little old churches which date from the earliest days of the communities in which they stand little churches wherever tiey rany may he be in which there Is no man made architectural keence to divert the mind of tile the worshiper when lie he comes into them from the busy world outside to commune with tile the great unseen tourists may gape in wonder nt at the splendor of metropolitan skyscraper churches but it Is doubtful if any of these great buildings will have tile the place in the hearts of so many people as does doe a a little church out in iowa and that Is because for more than 60 years a song familiar to thousands invites one to come to the church by the wildwood oil oh come to the church in he vale the little brown church of song nod and story Is located in northeastern lowa iowa in the beautiful valley of the red cedar it stands today among tile the same came giant pines that were there when it was built hack back in III civil war days in the wildwood which made the setting and provided the inspiration for the enrol carol As a matter of fact the song variously known as the church in the wildwood and the little brown church in the vale was not written about any church churell specific specifically tilly its nu abor dr W S pitts pitta a native of wisconsin received the inspiration for the song while on a visit in town iowa he wrote the song at tits ills home in rock county wisconsin hut but it was sung for the first time publicly in the now famous little brown church in the vale in bradford iowa two miles northeast of nashua now he came to write the sofig sofig and liow haw it came to be to applied to this particular church and to make it famous Is told in doctor pitts pitta own words in a hi historical booklet published by the little brown church ns as follows one bright afternoon of a day in june 1857 1 I 1 first set foot in bradford iowa coming by stage from uc me gregor my home was waa then in biscon wiscon sn eln thi the where the little brown church now stands was a setting of rare beauty there was no church there then but the spot was there waiting for it when hack back in my home I 1 wrote the song the little brown church in tile the vale I 1 put the manuscript away aw ay in the spring of 1802 1862 1 I returned to iowa and settled at r fredericksburg inasmuch as my cifes people were there in the winter of 1803 4 1 I taught a singing class in bradford we held our school in tile the brick building known as the academy in the years 1859 and 1860 the good people of bradford were determined determine to build a church I 1 will not take tinie time to tell of the trials the disappointments and the successes that followed suffice it to say by tile the early winter of 1801 1864 the building was ready for dedication while I 1 was holding the singing school near its close in the spring tile tie class went one evening to the church it was not then seated but rude seats were improvised my manuscript of the song I 1 had brought with me from wisconsin it had never been sung before by anyone but myself I 1 sting sang it there soon sion afterwards I 1 took tile the manuscript to chicago where it was published hy 11 II M elgins Hl gIns it won a speedy recognition locally and with the alie years 3 ears won its way into the hearts of the people of tile the world soon after its publication the church at bradford which had been painted brown for want of money to buy better paint some say became known as the little brown church in the vale under the circumstances what Is more natural than the little church at bradford painted brown and the song should be wedded and known as one and the some peo people ale way may try to rob the little church of its fame faine but as long as it stands it will be known as the little brown church in the vale at the time the little brown church was built bradford was a thriving town and the largest settlement tn in that part of the state except dubuque and mcgregor Alt Gregor in 1868 the long hoped for railroad came and passed bradford by touching at nashua two miles away and across the river bradford the largest town for many miles gradually became a town of the past while nashua grew to the dignity of a pop population it of 1000 where bradford once stood the land was turned into forms farms the little brown church survived however this was on account of doctor pitts pitta song wainly mainly for after it was taken to chicago and published jubilee singers took it up concert companies carried it all over america and into other parts of the world A little church which sprang into fame fatime within rent recent years yeara Is a quaint old quaker meeting aliouse louse in sandy spring md 20 miles from war washington hang and it came into prominence when president herbert attended services there there was a particular reason for tits going to th that at church the alie presidents blo biographers graphe rs tell hoover Is a descendant of andrew boover cover a stalwart colonial pioneer who held farms in the uplands of maryland 11 meaning the vicinity of sandy spring it was in this meeting house built in 1817 that earlier generations of the no hoovers worshiped kofl the coast of new hampshire Is a little church which Is unique it stands alone on star island isles of shoals ten miles from the mainland which Is said to beahe be the only island in america dedicated entirely to religious services built in 1800 after the wooden meeting house was destroyed daring the revolution for fuel this stone structure for years has fins been tile the scene of worship by in mothers others sisters and sweethearts praying for the safe return of their loved ones fishe fishermen r men at sea at ten each night when all Is hushed the pilgrims place themselves in column formation lighted candles encased in glass shades and swung from handles like lanterns are passed out to them then the column silently winds its way up tip the rock strewn path to tile the top of the hill where the little gray stone church with its old fashioned pine pews its cracked bell gild the metal codfish on the belfry stands there by the dim light of the candles the pilgrims inside the church and outside for it 1 Is not large enough for all bow their heads in prayer then are raised in the words of tome some sip appropriate hymn and after this brief service the column moves slowly down the hill again in gaining the lie little churches there Is one which should not be passed by without mention on the top of mount casino some two miles south of covington ky on the Il highland ighland pike to Is what Is said eald to be the smallest church in the world since it Is capable of accommodating a congregation of not more than three persons personal this small brick structure was built in 1890 by some gome brothers of the benedictine order who used it as a shrine during the lie years they were engaged there in the making of sacramental wine during the years of its use ilse it contained an altar the usual church candles a crucifix and pews for the accommodation of three persons but it js Is go 00 longer used ns as a church though still owned by st josephs parish of cov cor ington it Is now merely an out house 0 of the estate on which it is situated ma newspaper union I 1 |