Background
Wells D. Butterfield was born in 1859 in Algonac, Michigan, United States.
Wells D. Butterfield was born in 1859 in Algonac, Michigan, United States.
In 1891 Mr. Butterfield established an office in the latter city following an earlier period of practice in Port Huron, and from the start of his career devoted much of his time to church work. He is credited with the design of at least sixty-five ecclesiastical buildings in the state, among which were the Methodist Episcopal church at Traverse City, Congregational churches at Wyandotte and Armada, and Methodist churches at Richmond, Farmington, and Highland Park. Later he acquired a reputation in designing public school buildings. Between 1909 and 1916 he was the architect of six grade schools in Highland Park, Michigan, United States designed the first unit of the High School in 1914 and the second unit four years later. Wells was also the architect of a number of schools in Detroit.
Mr. Butterfield was a landscape artist of distinction, and for many years served as Secretary of the Detroit Artist's Society and the Water Color Society.
Wells has a daughter: Emily Butterfield.