Quartermaster Swords made digging the well on the north side of the parade ground a high priority. Soldiers excavated the first five feet by hand, and blasted through the last 60 feet. To finish the job, they had to blast through layers of limestone, slate, and coal. The well canopy consists of eight white columns and a low domed roof that architecturally complements the magazine on the opposite side of the parade ground.

The entire stucture is an example of classic Greek Revival architecture. The first reference to the octagonal canopy was a suggestion of its existence in the 1848 plan of the fort, where the well was described as being completed. Notice the well is off-centered under the canopy to simplify the drawing of water when soldiers used wagons to haul water barrels. The original canopy was purchased by Post Sutler H.T. Wilson at public auction for $28.00 on April 16,1855.