The lockkeeper and his family needed a source of water clean enough for drinking. Because of the proximity to the canal, the lockkeeper's family probably sold well water, homemade baked goods, and produce from their garden to canal boatmen and their families. The well is a dry laid-up stone well, meaning each stone was positioned to hold the surrounding ones in place. Mortar between the stones was added recently to preserve the well. The well pavilion and entry stone work was funded in part by donations from William Bailey, a descendant of John Smith, one of Port Penn's boatbuilding families. For safety, the well was capped with a concrete slab on October 22, 1928. The slab was removed in May 2005 so that archaeological excavation could begin. Tom Baird helped excavate inside the well and removed soil to a depth of 16 feet, where water began to seep into the well and further excavation was halted.