Like almost all wells from this period, it consisted of a central column with two side troughs and was primarily used to water livestock. There was no centralised water supply at this time (in Düppenweiler only from 1912); drinking water was usually supplied via domestic wells (Pütze). The well was renewed in the 1950s. It was not until 1991, when the village square was redesigned, that the fountain was moved to the rear of the square. The designers were keen to restore the fountain to its original structure (albeit with 4 troughs due to its central position). The Nikolausbrunnen thus became a narrative fountain of its own history and the history of the village of Düppenweiler (on eight cast-iron plaques on the troughs). The coats of arms of Düppenweiler and its twin town Etain (France) are also carved in sandstone.
