How Beautiful Heaven Must Be

Mrs. A. S. Bridgewater (born Cordelia "Cordie" Bridgewater) was an American Baptist hymn writer whose work became a cornerstone of the early 20th-century gospel tradition, particularly within the American South. Born around 1873 in North Carolina, she spent much of her life in Alabama, where she was an active member of the Baptist community alongside her husband, A. Samuel Bridgewater. While she is not as widely documented as some of her metropolitan contemporaries, her influence is evidenced by the massive adoption of her work in shape-note hymnals and revival collections.

Bridgewater’s most significant contribution to hymnody is the evocative gospel song "We Read of a Place That's Called Heaven" (often published under the title "How Beautiful Heaven Must Be"). Written in the early 1900s, this hymn became an immediate favorite for its vivid, comforting imagery of the afterlife. The text focuses on the "pure and the free" and the "pearly gates" of the celestial city, providing a sense of hope and spiritual relief that resonated deeply with rural and working-class congregations. Its popularity is reflected in its inclusion in nearly 150 different hymnals, a remarkable feat for a writer with a relatively small catalog of published texts.

The success of "How Beautiful Heaven Must Be" led to its translation into other languages, most notably as "Leemos de un sitio en el cielo" in Spanish-speaking congregations. Her writing style was characterized by:

• Aspirational Imagery: A heavy focus on the contrast between earthly "toil" and the "untroubled" nature of heaven.

• Simple, Rhythmic Structure: Her verses were designed to be easily sung by congregations using the "seven-shape" or "do-re-mi" music system popular in Southern singing schools.

• Cross-Denominational Appeal: While she was a Baptist, her hymns were adopted by various Holiness, Pentecostal, and Methodist groups throughout the 20th century.

Mrs. Bridgewater passed away in 1939, having lived to see her most famous hymn become a standard of the American gospel repertoire. She is remembered as a writer who could capture the shared spiritual longing of her community, turning a simple Sunday School lesson into an enduring anthem of faith. Today, "How Beautiful Heaven Must Be" remains one of the most frequently sung "heavenly" hymns in traditional American worship.