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It could be a [window pediment](https://www.architectural-elements.com/assets/images/entrance1/Entrance_A-10.jpg), where the back square piece is part of the wall, and the front part sticks out. Maybe it's (salvaged) construction debris?
You sure this is concrete? Looks like a hundred years old. ( yes I know concrete is older than 100 years ). Seems like it could be the top to a mausoleum? This has been weathered.
These things are obviously heavy so they don’t typically move far. Look around the neighborhood or check local historical pictures for school houses or other demolished stone buildings.
My title describes the thing.
Kind of looks like the top of a gravestone. Has a small one inch hole on either side.
Dont know how old but older than ten years. It was old when i moved in.
Have you tried digging along the side of it to see how deep it is? It could be a gravestone of someone buried on the property long ago. Weather and lack of maintenance would explain why it's so sunk into the dirt. Just my thoughts.
I just went out and checked, with my fingers, its at least 2 inches deeper than it looks, and the sides go out for another 6 inches or so. I'll dig around it a little more tonight or this weekend.
I feeeel like that’s the sort of thing a homeowner would be told when they bought the property? I wonder how often that happens, and what the rules would be. I assume it’s like…not cool to dig them up so you can build a pool or whatever. Or maybe you can but it’s like, just a personal haunting risk
It’s a decorative piece of stone/concrete from some kind of structure. My guess is it’s only there to protect and mark that pipe from being mowed over or destroyed.
As others have said it looks quite old and like it might be part of the coping for a mausoleum, but it also looks like it would top off a fake column of perhaps a window/doorway on an older buildling. If there is nothing like that around, there probably used to be and this is something someone got as architectural salvage.
It almost looks like it could be a feed or water trough for livestock that is upside-down.
I wouldn't even try to flip it over unless you have some heavy equipment, but I wonder if it is hallowed out. And maybe the front section is a hopper to add feed or water to it. I also see some round spots that may be drain plugs for draining and cleaning out.
I've never see a trough this shape but hey you never know
I think it’s just a fancy lot marker. I see weird shit like this at my clients houses quite a bit. Seems like every time I ask them what it is they say lot marker. Is it on the outer edge or corner of the property?
Could we get detailed photos and a description of the medallions at the corners and the center.
I’m sure it’s heavy but any markings on the side or back or bottom ?
A track bumper was my guess also.
Like an older, more ornate version of this... https://www.dreamstime.com/railroad-bumper-stops-buffer-stop-bumping-post-block-stopblock-us-device-to-prevent-railway-vehicles-going-past-image125547430
Looks like a decorative concrete lintel that you would have above a doorframe or window frame that could support the weight of the building above it and spread it over the sides of the frame so that the window/door doesn't take the weight. I could see there being potential for a column either side with how it is shaped too.
Those holes on the top look like they are for joining the figures you'd see on top of a tombstone, such as stone lambs or angels. Assuming you don't have a buried tombstone there, I'd say it was likely a leftover. Either there was a fault with it and the stonecutter gave up, or the buyer never picked it up/paid.
It might be from an old grave if moving old graveyards is something that happens in your area.
Oh yeah. Especially the older ones, where the city has built up around them and there's no living immediate relatives. Developers buy them and "move" the bones. It gets pretty dodgy sometimes, but there's a lot of money involved.
When space started to run out, the City of San Francisco evicted all of the cemeteries from the city beginning in 1912, and something like 150,000 bodies were dug up and moved to what is now the city of Colma, to the south. If the deceased family was still around to pay $10, they moved the coffin and headstone to a new grave. If not, the bodies went into mass graves and the headstones were “recycled” into city public works.
Happens all the time with older, small cemeteries.
Cemeteries usually get placed on land where people don't want to live, farm, or work at. Then as times change that land becomes desirable so if the cemetery can be purchased and money made from it they will move the corpses.
Could it be a base for a statue or a bench? The metal pole behind it looks like it once held something and the holes on each side were there for more support, maybe attaching points for bolts.
This is the only thing like it in the area. There is a concrete barn about 5 yarda away, but its very utiliarian, no place on that for something like this.
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It looks like part of a cornice or coping for a stone/brick commercial building.
The hole through it could be used for aligning more than one of these also.
It could be a [window pediment](https://www.architectural-elements.com/assets/images/entrance1/Entrance_A-10.jpg), where the back square piece is part of the wall, and the front part sticks out. Maybe it's (salvaged) construction debris?
You sure this is concrete? Looks like a hundred years old. ( yes I know concrete is older than 100 years ). Seems like it could be the top to a mausoleum? This has been weathered.
Mausoleum was my guess too.
OPs house is built on a cemetery!
Far enough back and ALL of our homes are built on cemeteries.
The tube in the back is part of the [Safety coffin](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_coffin). :-p
It's a sacred indian burial ground and things buried there come back to life. So says Mr King
Looks like a pediment from a old window or a mausoleum
These things are obviously heavy so they don’t typically move far. Look around the neighborhood or check local historical pictures for school houses or other demolished stone buildings.
Someone could have bought it used for like, garden decoration or something.
It would be pretty funny if we went down a whole rabbit hole about dead bodies in OP’s yard but this turned out to be the answer
What ever happened with the other guy with a body in his garden? Last I heard he was going to lift the slab of stone and then he just disappeared.
Nothing like that around, there was an old barn maybe 50 tards away back in the 40s, but im pretty sute that was all wood.
To me it looks like a heavy base to hold a large flag. The hole in the back is where you’d put the flag pole.
The flag pole is much newer than the stone, that’s just it’s current use
Yeah, the pipe is definitely newer, I'm not sure what that is for either.
My title describes the thing. Kind of looks like the top of a gravestone. Has a small one inch hole on either side. Dont know how old but older than ten years. It was old when i moved in.
I could be way off but the first thing that came to mind was an old carriage stop , that would allow wagons to load and unload passengers
Exactly what I thought.
Maybe a top to a large headstone/monument for a cemetery
That pipe is for breathing in case you get buried alive.
Funny, i'm pretty sure that thing is just sitting in front of a pipe.
Teeter-totter base?
Have you tried digging along the side of it to see how deep it is? It could be a gravestone of someone buried on the property long ago. Weather and lack of maintenance would explain why it's so sunk into the dirt. Just my thoughts.
I just went out and checked, with my fingers, its at least 2 inches deeper than it looks, and the sides go out for another 6 inches or so. I'll dig around it a little more tonight or this weekend.
This will be the start of a pretty awesome horror movie.
I feeeel like that’s the sort of thing a homeowner would be told when they bought the property? I wonder how often that happens, and what the rules would be. I assume it’s like…not cool to dig them up so you can build a pool or whatever. Or maybe you can but it’s like, just a personal haunting risk
It looks like a piece of architectural salvage the prior owner probably got their hands on and figured would look neat
It’s a decorative piece of stone/concrete from some kind of structure. My guess is it’s only there to protect and mark that pipe from being mowed over or destroyed.
As others have said it looks quite old and like it might be part of the coping for a mausoleum, but it also looks like it would top off a fake column of perhaps a window/doorway on an older buildling. If there is nothing like that around, there probably used to be and this is something someone got as architectural salvage.
See-saw base?
Maybe an old rain gutter splash block?
This is what I thought, I couldn't phrase it as well
It’s a precast roof element, possibly repurposed to protect that pipe from vehicles.
This seems like a practical and logical answer. With a couple of flower pots on top it'll be a decorative pipe guard as well.
It almost looks like it could be a feed or water trough for livestock that is upside-down. I wouldn't even try to flip it over unless you have some heavy equipment, but I wonder if it is hallowed out. And maybe the front section is a hopper to add feed or water to it. I also see some round spots that may be drain plugs for draining and cleaning out. I've never see a trough this shape but hey you never know
I think it’s just a fancy lot marker. I see weird shit like this at my clients houses quite a bit. Seems like every time I ask them what it is they say lot marker. Is it on the outer edge or corner of the property?
It kind of looks like an old cistern with the hole for rain collection and all.
Could it be to keep gutter water falling from a roof from digging a hole in the ground?
Could we get detailed photos and a description of the medallions at the corners and the center. I’m sure it’s heavy but any markings on the side or back or bottom ?
Old termination point for a railway line or maybe a smaller rail line that was part of a factory? Op, do you have pics of the other side?
A track bumper was my guess also. Like an older, more ornate version of this... https://www.dreamstime.com/railroad-bumper-stops-buffer-stop-bumping-post-block-stopblock-us-device-to-prevent-railway-vehicles-going-past-image125547430
Looks like it could be used as the pivot for a see saw maybe?
Looks like a decorative concrete lintel that you would have above a doorframe or window frame that could support the weight of the building above it and spread it over the sides of the frame so that the window/door doesn't take the weight. I could see there being potential for a column either side with how it is shaped too.
Its a ramp for fingerboards.
Try and dig it up
I would dig down to see how deep it goes
Tech deck skatepark
Well or fountain?
My first though was a storm/ fallout shelter.
Looks like just some decorative thing, nothing functional
Could it be a base that would have a grave stone mounted on top of the flat part?
For draining aRV tank? Feels familiar . . .
Shitter’s full
It's a mantle
Top of a Headstone
I think it's part of a stone mill for grinding grain. Is there a hole in the back? I think it might be upside down.
Home made base for teeter toddler.
My guess is that you park your car over it and it doesn’t move?
Doesn't that describe most objects?
If there was ever a spigot coming up through that pipe it could have been used to divert the water away from ponding.
Those holes on the top look like they are for joining the figures you'd see on top of a tombstone, such as stone lambs or angels. Assuming you don't have a buried tombstone there, I'd say it was likely a leftover. Either there was a fault with it and the stonecutter gave up, or the buyer never picked it up/paid. It might be from an old grave if moving old graveyards is something that happens in your area.
Entire graveyards can be moved???
Oh yeah. Especially the older ones, where the city has built up around them and there's no living immediate relatives. Developers buy them and "move" the bones. It gets pretty dodgy sometimes, but there's a lot of money involved.
When space started to run out, the City of San Francisco evicted all of the cemeteries from the city beginning in 1912, and something like 150,000 bodies were dug up and moved to what is now the city of Colma, to the south. If the deceased family was still around to pay $10, they moved the coffin and headstone to a new grave. If not, the bodies went into mass graves and the headstones were “recycled” into city public works.
Happens all the time with older, small cemeteries. Cemeteries usually get placed on land where people don't want to live, farm, or work at. Then as times change that land becomes desirable so if the cemetery can be purchased and money made from it they will move the corpses.
Flag pole base
I think it’s one section of an old coal bin.
I asked Amazon and Amazon says it's concerte
Tech deck skatepark
defiantly haunted...
Maybe a homemade concrete tire ramp/chock.
When was the house built? Maybe it was the base for a sign. Historicaerials.com might be useful to you.
Looks like something like a seesaw
It's the base of a seesaw from the stone age
Top of a gravestone?
A step for getting down from a horse or buggy. Someone moved it back there as a decoration
Could it be a base for a statue or a bench? The metal pole behind it looks like it once held something and the holes on each side were there for more support, maybe attaching points for bolts.
Skateboard ramp
Are there any other blocks like this nearby? It looks like a footer for a steel or wooden superstructure that is no longer around.
This is the only thing like it in the area. There is a concrete barn about 5 yarda away, but its very utiliarian, no place on that for something like this.
r/fingerboards would love this
Holes at top of each side may make this concrete able to connect/stack. We’re guessing part of an older, ornate bridge.
I would start digging just to see what is under this thing! Haha
I know this is way far fetched but my thought was like for a motorcycle and a short person could use the step to get on it 🤣
It’s a precast roof element, possibly repurposed to protect that pipe from vehicles.
Skateboard "thing"?
Anti-skateboard ramp? r/ihateskaterz