It grew slowly, but by 1840 it included a church, tavern, store and several mechanic shops. The store still remains untouched at the major crossroads in Wells village. The economy of Wells was based around farming potatoes, raising sheep and mining slate. Unlike Pawlet and Poultney, the slate industry grew slowly and never prospered. In the late 1800s farmers began to shift their emphasis towards dairying and several cheese factories were established. In 1859 Lake St. Catherine started attracting visitors when the first hotel was built on the western shore. The Town's population decreased slightly until the invention of the automobile made Wells and Lake St. Catherine a destination spot for recreational activities.
Today, the village is a Historic district; the State Register identifies approximately 34 contributing buildings. Most of the historic buildings are of wooden clapboard construction and have slate roofs. The historic homes are of the Federal, Georgian, Cape or Greek Revival style and sited close to the road. The traditional village is also a cultural resource with the original general store, the focus of commercial activity, and the town library. Located in the "heart" of town, the Wells library, once a church, makes a quaint picture sitting in the middle of the Town Green, itself a target of preservation efforts in order to maintain the deep-rooted New England charm of the town. Two local churches serve the religious needs of the community. The United Methodist Church and St. Paul's Episcopal Church have been serving the community since the early 1800's.
Many other historic sites identified on the State Register are camps along both the western and eastern shore of Lake St. Catherine. Among the earliest houses built in town are four, small similar homes on Route 30 near the junction of Wells Brook and Mill Brook. Although these homes have encountered some small alterations, they all retain a slightly flared eave across the front roof edge, which is a feature rarely found in Vermont. This register also includes some farms, barns and other houses concentrated along Route 30 and intersecting roads south and east of the village.
In addition to these historic resources, Wells contains and values its scenic, recreational, natural, cultural and archeological resources. The natural and scenic resources consist of the varied landform, particularly the mountains. Wells is endowed with three types of natural areas (Geological, Hydrological and Biological) that also contribute to the recreational opportunities available.
Geological resources include features such as mountains, cliffs, glacial landforms and mineral or fossil deposits. The sand, gravel, and slate deposits are common to the region and have been utilized by local businesses for years. The resulting quarries are used as local swimming areas and the waste slate piles have become a part of the town's history.
The vista on Pond Mountain is spectacular. A well-traveled footpath to the cliffs (located on private land) is accessible for hiking once the owners grant permission. Public access to hiking trails should be encouraged. It is desirable that this vista should be preserved for posterity in its natural state, thus development on the top of Pond Mountain should be discouraged.
The hydrological features in Wells include rivers, streams, bogs, marshes, swamps, ponds and lakes. Lake St. Catherine also offers many recreation opportunities for the Town of Wells. Tourists/summer campers come from all over the United States to enjoy fishing, boating, camping and swimming in the lake. The lake is enjoyed both summer and winter for fishing purposes. Ice-skating is prevalent on Lake Lucidian, a man made lake located off of North Street. Fish and Wildlife Department owns two access points along the lake that are available to the town. One area is near the Lake Bridge and allows boat and fishing access. The other facility allows fishing and carried boat (canoe) access and is near the dam at the outlet of the lake.
The Town is crossed by two waterways: the Wells Brook and the Wells River. Wells Brook and its tributary system drain the valley and runs west where it connects with Mill Brook, the Little Pond outlet for Lake St. Catherine. The Wells Brook runs parallel and south of the East Wells Road into town and then parallel and south of Route 30 almost to the Pawlet town line where it turns under Route 30 and joins the Wells River. Both empty into the Mettawee River, which runs into New York State. Wells River runs from the outlet of Lake St. Catherine parallel with Route 30, picking up the stream from the outlet of Lake Lucidian. The lower end of the Wells River is often refereed to as "Mill Brook". Fishing is enjoyed along these waterways. Endless Brook drains north, east of Mount St. Catherine, to Poultney, where it feeds into the upper end of Lake St. Catherine.
These water bodies provide a number of recreational opportunities, but Wells offers numerous additional options. Through the generosity of the members of the Modern Woodmen of America, the Town of Wells has access to a softball field, a basketball court, and a tennis court. The M.W.A. also sponsors two Bingo sessions every week. Many people travel from surrounding towns in Vermont and New York to play. This event goes on year-round and is well attended at all times. Horseback riding is becoming more popular in the area. With the demise of many of the farms in town, one former farm has converted to a horseback riding facility open to the public. Snowmobiling is a popular sport in the winter. There are many snowmobile trails in Wells and the frozen lakes and streams provide easy access from one part of town to another. There is a local snowmobile club that maintains and marks the trails.
Due to its location surrounding Lake St. Catherine, Wells supports a delicate biological habitat that is dense and diverse. It sustains a variety of critical habitat including nesting sites, which balance the population of several rare and nongame and natural heritage sites. It also maintains areas with natural communities for deer, wild turkeys and several species of fish and waterfowl. There are many scenic opportunities that may develop due to these biological resources such as areas to view the peregrine falcon in flight.
The community recognized other intrinsic resources that would interest tourists and locals. There are sugarhouses that will give public tours on maple sugaring and sell maple syrup and candy. Finally, Wells is the birthplace of Oliver Cowdry who was one of the three primary witnesses asserting a divine origin for the Book of Mormon. There is a Marker and a Cellar Hole at his original home.
There are 228 sites on the Vermont Register of Historic Places cited for the residential, commercial, civic and religious architecture of primarily Italianate, Queen Anne, and Colonial Revival style. Many historic buildings were built after the arrival of the Rutland and Washington Railroad in 1847 and after the slate and other industries prospered in the late 1800s. Poultney's Main Street, listed in part on the National Register of Historic Places, the State Register of Historic Places and as well as selected by the state as a Designated Downtown, consists of historic buildings from the 1800s to the 1930s.
After 1768 settlers began to establish their farms among the valleys throughout Wells. The center village began developing around 1800 as a small milling and commercial center for the farm community.
