Drilling began in October 1882 as a public works project by the Village of Bay View, but progressed slowly due to the dense glacial drift below.

It stands roughly five feet tall and has a pipe on either side, from which water continuously flows out of and into ground level drainage basins.

Potted plants and benches provided by the Bay View Garden and Yard Society now flank the structure.

It became a popular alternative to the municipal water supply, which draws from Lake Michigan, during the Milwaukee Cryptosporidium outbreak that occurred in April 1993.

Tests in 2014 and 2015 found exceedingly high levels of strontium, a naturally occurring element, in the well's water, though city health officials noted it should only be an issue of consideration for "sensitive populations over a lifetime of exposure.