After I confirmed that the temperamental artesian well at Mt. Pleasant Church Cemetery had stopped flowing last weekend, I turned my attention to another in the Highbanks region near Yorktown. I was eager to see if the same fate had befallen the old Lennington well about a third of a mile north. I’m happy to report that all is well- for now, at least!
I’d located ten or fifteen flowing wells on my own before a couple people reached out to tell me about another just north of Mt. Pleasant Church Cemetery. Unfortunately, finding it proved tricky. My early attempts involved poring over Google Street View and satellite imagery, but that barely helped. Then, one of my mom’s friends caught wind of my quest and filmed a video of himself driving to it from the cemetery. Later that day, I finally tracked it down myself.
The well sits on land owned by the Lennington family, and finding it feels a bit like discovering a secret island you can only get to once you’ve been there before. Now that I know where it is, there’s no chance I’ll ever miss it! The well was once a popular spot for a refreshing sip of ice-cold water, but its casing was nearly destroyed by vandals back in the 1970s1. As a result, water trickles out slowly, which probably affects its quality. I didn’t drink from it during my first visit, but my brother did. Thankfully, aside from a cold, he’s doing just fine nearly six years later.
Flowing artesian wells rely on a specific topography to function, and the Lennington well is no exception. Despite its damaged pipe, it still flows because the water table extends into nearby hills thirty-one feet above the well’s location. I don’t want to give away its exact coordinates because of its compromised condition, but I’ll say this: the Lennington well is tucked away in the woods on the east side of High Banks Road, just north of the entrance to Mount Pleasant Church Cemetery.
It’s fascinating how one well might still flow while another just a stone’s throw away has completely stopped. I don’t know why that is, and I feel all the more stupid for it. I’ve had the chance to be interviewed a couple of times by media outlets concerned about the fate of old flowing wells, but I’m no hydrologist- I’m just an avid fan! Flowing water holds a power that calms and soothes a restless soul. For me, artesian wells bring a sense of clarity and focus to my chaotic mind.
I’m sure there are countless factors at play that I don’t fully understand, but the mysteries of these wells keep drawing me back. Their unpredictable nature only makes them more fascinating, but I’m especially glad that the Lennington well is still trickling steadily. Its water flows east towards the White River to a tiny waterfall as it always has, and there’s something timeless about that.
Sources Cited
1 Gerhart, L. (1982, September 18). Artesians about in Delaware County – wells, that is. The Muncie Evening Press. p.
