The Wells Fountain was funded by William Henry Wells, a New York businessman who was a native of Brattleboro. Wells Fountain was designed by William Rutherford Mead, sculptor, and was dedicated on October 11, 1890 on the front grounds of the E. J. Carpenter Villa. The fountain is constructed out of granite, which was likely quarried in the area and is a common building material.
Granite is a coarse grained, light colored igneous rock that is mainly composed of feldspar (plagioclase) and quartz.In general, potassium feldspars commonly have pink to reddish hues, while the plagioclase feldspars tend to be white or gray. In the chart below, granite is located on the far left side. The composition may vary, but what distinguishes it from diorite is that it contains mostly feldspar and quartz. It is an intrusive, which means that it cooled slowly beneath the earths surface. The slower it cooled, the larger the crystals, and vice-versa. In contrast, extrusive rocks tend to be volcanic, and form on the earth's surface. Granite may contain mica (muscovite and biotite)which are the small shiny flakes that you sometimes can see in rocks. Lastly, there is hornblende, which are dark minerals.
![]()
Logging Requirements:
- Examine the stone. Describe the color, texture, and grain size. Does the size of the crystals appear to be consistent throughout the stone?
- Look closely at the mineral composition of the stone. Does it contain potassium feldspar, or plagioclase feldspar?
- Is there any mica visible in the stone? Why or why not?
- Upload a photo with the fountain. Per the current guidelines, you do not have to be in the photo (though it is strongly encouraged).