Logo for Sunwheel Project
How much will the Sunwheel cost?


COST OF STONE

 The cost of the 14 standing stones for the enlarged Sunwheel is  close to $25,000. These 8'-10' tall standing stones  total 56 tons of granite, and are from the CHESTER GRANITE  COMPANY in East Otis, Massachusetts, located about 45 miles west of Amherst. These  stones are NATURAL STANDING STONES, cut only on the bottom so that they have a flat surface to stand on.

 To see photographs of the standing stones while still at quarry, click here.

COST OF ADDITIONAL MATERIALS

 Considerable ground preparation is necessary before  the tall standing stones can be  placed in position and properly aligned. Holes must be dug at 12 precisely determined  locations. These holes must be 4' deep, lined with a black fabric called GEOTEXTILE , which is permeable to water, but not to fine dirt and soil. The foundation holes are then filled with 3/4" CRUSHED STONE,  which is then compacted to prevent settling after the tall stones are aligned.  The crushed stone which fills  the foundation holes total 51 tons. Finally, STAINLESS STEEL PINS, 1"  in diameter and 2' long, are used to anchor each standing stone to a 1' thick granite slab i sitting at ground level under each stone. These slabs are sawed flat on  the top and bottom, providing a flat surface for the tall stones to stand on, and they  are 1' larger in all directions than the standing stones in order to distribute the weight .  This construction design, approved by Dr. Don DeGroot of the U.Mass. Dept.  of Civil and Environmental Engineering, should provide both safety and stability, and ensure that the accurate alignments of the stones will be  preserved. A diagram showing the stone foundation design is shown below.


COST OF CONSTRUCTION

 Overall, the cost (stone, materials,  construction, labor, the exhibit, a stone path for access, and landscaping)  exceeds $50,000. The grant from the National Science Foundation provided $35,000 toward the Sunwheel,  so an aditional $15,000-$20,000 must be raised.

DONORS TO THE SUNWHEEL PROJECT

 I am grateful to the following individuals and organizations for their contributions to and funding of the Sunwheel Project:

STATE and FEDERAL FUNDING:
 National Science Foundation
Chancellor David Scott, University of Massachusetts
NASA
Healey Endowment, University of Massachusetts

PRIVATE DONATIONS:
 Diane Amsterdam and Michael Childs
Ann Annadori
Florence Applebaum
Jean Arnett
Tom Arny
David and Jessica Barrington
Mary and Herbert Bernstein
Beth Berry
Jeff and Marilyn Blaustein
Elizabeth Brackett
Jaimie Brittain
Bob Burg
Jack Burns
Ruth and Moe Burg
Barbara and Michael Burkart
Robin Camardo
Robert Carson
Richard Chandler
Gary Condon
David Cordeiro
Callie and Steve Daniel
Joy and Al Davol
Lynn and Bruce Douglas
Ruth Dow, in memory of Dr. Clyde W. Dow (U.Mass. instructor, late 1930's)
Charlie Ferranti
Lisa Ferrett
Oriole Feshbach
Rebecca Cornwall Galkiewicz
Elliott Gilberg and Deborah Brouse
Mindy Gill
Marcia and Sheldon Goldman
Paul Goldsmith
Gabe Goldstein
Cleo Gorman
Nicholas Gralenski
Mary and Emil Grieshaber
Terri Gryzbowski
Yaffa and Haim Gunner
Ann Hastings
Christine Hendler
Riley Hendrickson -- in memory of Jeanne Heine
Lucy and Gene Herring
Lynne Hillenbrand
Rita Hindin
Fred and Hariett Hirschenfang
Chris and Anne Hoffman
Ellen Hopman
Patricia Hornig
Joan Howe
Woodrow Jacobson
Renu and Saju Joseph
John Kapitzky
Shaun Kelly
Karen Kilty
Anita and Dave Klaimann
J. Koch
Wando Komura
lene and Nelson Lacey
Caden and Lewis Mainzer
Shirley Markham
David McEndarfer
Michael McGurrin
Catherine Miller
Young Minh
Steve Moore
Phil and Phyllis Morrison
Benjamin Northrup and Shahrzad Yamin
Donald Olbris
Beverly Overmyer
Diane Palladino
Igor Paulin
Prasad
Michele Porzel
N. Janeen and Mitchell Resnick
Paul Rodman and Toni Deser
Dulcie Trowbridge's 6th Grade Class
Allan and Donna Rubin
David and Michelle Rubin
Robert and Vera Rubin
Dave Sanders
Fred Sawyer
Molly and Mike Schuchat
Viloyal Schweiker
Bruce Scofield
Nick Scoville
John Seybold
Victor Shargai and John Aniello
Simon Sherris
Leo Silber
Scott Simenas
Luther Smith
Daniel Steele
Margot Stein and Myriam Klotz
Gene Stewart
Gerald Strauss and Daphne Patai
Nancy Thompson
Paul Thompson
William Thompson
Agnes Ting
Kelson Ting
Jennie Traschen and David Castor
Doug Trumbull and Ann Vidor
Huan Chung Tseng
Linda Tulley
Barbara Tyler
U.Mass. Craft Center
Leila Vale
Valerie Vaughn
Flo Walden
Bill Waller
Susan and Richard Wax
Pam Waxman
Lucille and Web Weber
William Wegenor
Sheila Weinberg
The Order of the Whiteoak
Kathleen and Allen Williams
Rachel Wing
Cricket Wingfield
Po-zen Wong
Christina Wright
James Young and Lori Friedman
Judy Young
Laura Young
Catherine Youngen


  A project conceived by Professor Judith S. Young
 Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
 e-mail: send to Steve Schneider

Go back button