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Nashua is home to some interesting
historical spots, one in particular is quite famous,
others will give you some insight into what it was like
living during the early years when Nashua was actually
two towns: Nashua and Bradford. The other, a valued gift
to the community from an historic benefactor. All in all
Nashua, and the surrounding area has a wealth of
historic places to visit. Check out
Chickasawtrails.com for a list of other places to
visit while you're here.
Little Brown
Church in the Vale 2730 Cheyenne Ave.
Nashua, IA 50568
www.littlebrownchurch.org
Located just three miles
from the Avenue of the Saints (hwy 27/218), The Little
Brown Church was made famous by the song, "The Little
Brown Church in Vale" or as it was originally written,
"The Church in the Wildwood", by William Pitt, a music
teacher who was passing through town on the stagecoach.
He had seen this wooded spot while walking down the
street and it inspired him. Interestingly enough, at the
time of writing the church didn't physically exist.
There was, at that time an established
Puritan-Congregational Church that had formed and they
were meeting in various places around the town of
Bradford. (see the "History" page for more information
on Bradford) They soon made plans to build a church.
Providentially, the very lot where William Pitt had
envisioned a church was donated by the family that owned
it and soon a church building stood in the exact spot.
At the time the cheapest paint they could purchase was
Ohio Mineral Paint, great wood protector but...brown.
The bell was hung and the church completed in 1864.
Pitt was
hired as a music teacher for the Bradford Academy. He
had simply tucked away the song away and forgotten about
it. When he arrived back in Bradford, there, in the very
spot he had romanced about, stood a little brown church.
The interesting thing is that the congregation had no
idea that Pitt had penned the song and that the church
in his song was, indeed, brown. Pitt dug out the song
and taught it to his class who sang it at the church
dedication.
Each
year, this little country church is sought out by people
from all over the world to exchange their vows in. To
date, over 70,000 marriages have been performed there.
Services are held regularly and the church hosts a
lively, warm congregation. For further history and
information on the Little Brown Church in the Vale,
visit the official website at
www.littlebrownchurch.org .
The
church is nestled amongst the pine trees and there are
ample grounds for wedding receptions and reunions. It
boasts a small but beautiful prayer garden on the
grounds behind the church.
 Visiting
the Little Brown Church is a pleasent and a memorable
one. It is an enduring icon of faith and history here.
Pastor: James Clifford Mann
email:
info@littlebrownchurch.org
Sunday Worship Service 10:30 a.m. with
sing-a-long at 10:15 a.m.
Everyone Welcome!
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The town once boasted 4 hotels, mills, blacksmith and
the Bradford Academy. One of the first academies in
Iowa, the Bradford Academy was the academic equivalent
to High School. William S. Pitts, author of the song
"Church in the Wildwood" or "The Little Brown Church in
the Vale," who was both a physician and music director,
taught at the academy. 
ow,
all that remains as part of the town of Bradford is The
Little Brown Church. In tribute to those early pioneers,
the Bradford Pioneer Museum shows a glimpse of what it
was like to live in the area at the time with period
buildings
and exhibits. Every year in May, they sponsor a Civil
War re-enactment called the "Battle of Bradford." It is
an enjoyable stroll through the village and many of the
buildings are open during the summer for touring.
