Wondering what this is

[Dave]

My brother used to live in an old farmhouse built in the mid 1700's.  When he moved out he found this old chiseled-out piece of stone.  He was thinking it was somehow used in the house with water running through the shallow trough and out the cutout area on the left.  The dimensions are roughly 4 feet wide, 3-1/2 feet long and only 5 inches high with the trough being about an inch to 1-1/2 inches deep.  It seems to be uniformly flat across the top (and I imagine the bottom - did not try flipping it over) with only one area for the water to flow out of (assuming it is for water).  Square corners. 

I'm not sure what it is or what it could've been used for.  Anyone have any ideas?

[FinsnFur]

Interesting
I have no clue but I'm curious to hear some of the replies.

[snafu]

Wild guess, a hand wash (laundry) basin. It was probably spring fed at one time? My 2nd guess is, a shallow swimming pool w/o a diving board.

[Dave]

I was sort of thinking along those lines, too, Snafu. 
There was a potato/root cellar close to the house that had about 15 or so steps down to a 10'x12' area (maybe a little bigger as it's been a while ago - I just remember it being small).  There was no spring house.  Big, typical barn - the type that HaMer posts pics of.  Maybe it had something to do with livestock or vegetables? 

My brother said he was digging with a backhoe when he found it just under an area that was part of the lawn.  15 yards from the back door by a big english walnut tree well over 100 years old.   

[HaMeR]

Front door step & the water would drain off to the side. 

Purdy darn neat to find these items tho & wonder. 

[bambam]

I'm guessing it was used to wash vegetables, too shallow for washing hands. Or possibly to wash off meat when butchering.

[Carolina Coyote]

That is a mystery, could speculate on a lot of thing but would be nice for someone that knows what it is to tell us. cc

[Hawks Feather]

I have no idea, but I like HaMeR's doorstep idea.  I may pass the idea along to house builders in the area.   

Jerry

[HuntnCarve]

Might be a "lye" stone.  They were used in the manufacturing of lye for soap.  A barrel or crock with a hole at the bottom, was placed on top of it.  Then filled with straw, ashes, and water.  Lye would leach out and drain onto the stone and funnel down to a collection container.


HnC Dave

[FOsteology]

Might be a "lye" stone.  They were used in the manufacturing of lye for soap.  A barrel or crock with a hole at the bottom, was placed on top of it.  Then filled with straw, ashes, and water.  Lye would leach out and drain onto the stone and funnel down to a collection container.


HnC Dave

That would be my guess too.

http://www.stonestructures.org/html/groovedstones.html

[slagmaker]

Could be a grain mill. Kind of a mortar and pestle thing for grinding grains into flour. Reminds me of one anyway

[Dave]

Thanks for the responses. I'm sure someone has it right.
Next time at my brother's, I'm gonna go clean that stone up and look for markings that may clue me in to the use of the thing.  I googled Lye stone and saw what HnC was referring to.  Definite possibility.  I also like to think it may have something to do with cleaning veggies or walnuts (I think it'd be stained black, though, if used for the walnut hulls - I remember eating the walnuts off that huge tree my brother found it by).

[FinsnFur]

I googled Lye stone and saw what HnC was referring to. 

Found myself self doing the SAME thing LOL!