Can someone tell me what this is? It has been on our front porch since we bought it. My husband and I are stumped and Google has been no help so far. It’s has CS88 stamped on it. House was built in 1890s…UPDATE: It weighs 16lbs. Sorry no banana for scale, so it’s on the bathroom scale.

A questioner said:

Credit: Becky Robertson (questioner)

Some of the people opinions on it:

Old fashion fire pit
I think it is a boot scraper although now they have a single blade. ??? Just a thought.
It can also be a weight for reins from horses or a weight used with a dray wagon
I think it’s supposed to go in a fireplace
Scrape mud off your riding boots but I dont think it was ever completed
It’s a weight.

Combination boot scraper and horse hitching post!!
I think it’s a insert for a fireplace chimney lol idk
That’s a heavy duty component. Might work as a moveable chock for a cable bridge, or anchor chain guide. Stamp gives a clue. Carnegie Steel? Though it’s cast iron . . . fascinating. I’ll be looking around for the solution
Boot scraper.
Looks like a type of form to shape a tube, more industrial than domestic
I’d say it’s more of a Blacksmith tool.

Not enough ridges for a boot scrapper.
It does look like it holds up or supports a pipe of some sort. Maybe a water pipe?
Something a smithy used to bend iron
Weren’t boot scrapers more of a blade? And what’s the purpose of the empty space in the middle?
kind of high to scrape your boots-i’d have trouble with that
My guess would be a horse tie down
To make paper fire logs in ?
Wonder if CS stands for Confederate States ???

Agreeing with the industrial idea, for shaping something.
I’d say to a scrape dirt & mud off boots & shoes . Probably sat out on porch or varies places to not track in the house.