It is the only known example of a turntable horse ferry, a ship type that was common on United States waterways in the mid-19th century.

The remains of the horse ferry were discovered in 1983 during a side-scan sonar survey of Burlington Bay.

Between 1989 and 1992 divers visited the site, in which test areas were excavated in order to document the structure of the vessel and its propulsion mechanism.

A central turntable, mounted at a level below the main deck, was connected by a gearing system to a sidewheel.

Horses walked on the turntable, whose resulting rotation moved the sidewheel, providing forward motion through the water.