Can someone tell me what this is?

A questioner said:

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.

Credit: Becky Robertson (questioner)

Some of the people opinions on it:

1. Old fashion fire pit
2. I think it is a boot scraper although now they have a single blade. ??? Just a thought.
3. It can also be a weight for reins from horses or a weight used with a dray wagon
4. I think it’s supposed to go in a fireplace
5. Scrape mud off your riding boots but I dont think it was ever completed
6. It’s a weight.
7. Combination boot scraper and horse hitching post!!
8. I think it’s a insert for a fireplace chimney lol idk
9. 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
10. Boot scraper.
11. Looks like a type of form to shape a tube, more industrial than domestic
12. I’d say it’s more of a Blacksmith tool.Not enough ridges for a boot scrapper.
13. It does look like it holds up or supports a pipe of some sort. Maybe a water pipe?
14. Something a smithy used to bend iron
15. Weren’t boot scrapers more of a blade? And what’s the purpose of the empty space in the middle?
16. kind of high to scrape your boots-i’d have trouble with that
17. My guess would be a horse tie down
18. To make paper fire logs in ?
19. Wonder if CS stands for Confederate States ???Agreeing with the industrial idea, for shaping something.
20. 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.

What do you think it is? Let us know in the comment!