By Nellie Jo Jackson
PRESQUE ISLE -- Three miles out on the Washburn Road, an immaculate white steeple gleams in the spring sun. It is no ordinary steeple, because it was built to crown the Church In The Wildwood. The Rev. Daniel E. Pike had paint brush in hand Wednesday as he put the finishing touches to the small steeple, which marks the end of a year's work.
The Rev. Pike is 68 years old, and takes for granted the fact that it was his mission to build the small, white church.
"I hammered every nail myself, cleared the land and did all the carpentry work," he beams proudly. "You could say I'm founder, builder and pastor."
People got very curious as the church began to take shape during the last months.
"I never even told anybody until it was almost finished," Pike admits. "I worked right straight through the winter. And when people saw what I was doing, they were happy and said it was a good idea."
Pike shows his big strong hands, now a dark tan from all the work on the church. He says it was by his own hands that the church was built, including the huge job of clearing, tarring and graveling the parking lot that can accommodate 75 cars.
"The church is kind of in the trees," he muses, "so I thought it should be the Church In The Wildwood.
"As I was working along, I kept praying to the Lord that on the opening day He would give us one soul for His glory, and He gave us two."
The doors of the church first opened on Sept. 5 [1972] when 130 people filled the church, and another 130 waited outside.
A Real Need "I felt there was a real need for a church and Sunday school in this area," Pike explains.
"The church is nondenominational, and I hope everyone will feel free to come regardless of creed or denomination."
The Church In The Wildwood has already made quite an impact in the community. Pike says that at least 40 people are usually present for Sunday services. Sunday school, under the leadership of Mrs. Elsie Johnson, starts at 1 p.m. each Sunday, followed by a church service at 2 p.m.
"We got Rathbun's to build our steeple for us," Pike confides. "It's a very traditional steeple, and I took it up the ladder and placed it on top of the church."
The church, which seats close to 100 people, has now been completed on the inside and features light green walls with a white ceiling.
A Little Expense "It was all done at quite a little expense," Pike explains. "We have six full windows as well as good sturdy pews and a pulpit. And there's an area light for the parking lot."
Pike is no newcomer to church work or the art of building churches. "In about 1940 I built a church on Wilson Avenue - The Presque Isle Gospel Tabernacle it was at the time.
"And I designed the Church In The Wildwood before building it." he confirms. "So I knew just what was going were."
In Pike's life, he feels there is room for at least two churches. Currently he is also pastor of a church in Plaster Rock, N.B.
Pike has a long history of experience and service in the church. After he was ordained as a Primitive Baptist minister in the early 1940's, he held revival meetings all over Maine and New Brunswick, as well as serving as pastor of the Christian Church in Blaine.
Through all of his work, Pike says that his wife, Violet, has been a constant source of support and encouragement. "She's been very excited about this church," Pike explains. "In fact, the two of us have an early morning radio broadcast each Sunday at 7:45 a.m. on WAGM."
Pike says he's not one to let his age stop him from working. "Some folks thought the Church In The Wildwood was quite an undertaking," he adds. "But I was confident we could do it."
located three miles out on the Washhurn Road. While Pike worked straight through the winter to build the church, his wife, Violet encouraged him to keep going. Here they show the church's first stained glass window, economically created by placing sheer contact paper over a plain glass window.
PAINTS STEEPLE -- The Rev. Daniel E. Pike added the finishing touches to the area's newest church as he painted the steeple for the Church In The Wildwood last Wednesday. The steeple, built by Rathbun's, crowns the little church which Pike built with his own hands.
[April 1972]