Old cast iron star

[PlugThug]

Not sure what this is? I found it this morning where an old 10'x10' school house was located. I think it's a masonry star but why would it be on a small structure?

It's a 9" star.

 

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[old digger]

That's a part from a star harrow. There was a long row of them, and were used in breaking down dirt clods in the farmers field.

 

[NOLA_Ken]

If it's flat on the other side is a masonry star, was the building there brick? I;ve seen them on all sizes of places, anywhere they needed a little lateral strengthening of the walls....

 

[stefen]

Not sure what this is? I found it this morning where an old 10'x10' school house was located. I think it's a masonry star but why would it be on a small structure?View attachment 1267227

It's a 9" star.

The stars (a decorative structural element) were used for retrofitted bracing of buildings or structures subject to structural damage from hurricane, tornado's and micro-bursts winds, earthquakes, seismic and the like.

Basically, the stars and similar patterns are used as large washers on the outside face of wood frame, brick and concrete buildings, bridges, boat docks, etc.
Whereby steel rods were connected to interior walls and cross-braced, extending to the outside thru the stars and bolted.

Quite common in California for buildings constructed prior (1930's) to establishment of earthquake building codes.

Might be visible in older towns having retrofitted un-reinforced brick buildings.

Cast iron Seismic Reinforcement Stars http://store.alliedbolt.com/ststburewa.html

 

[tamrock]

I've seen those on the side of a few old brick buildings built in the 19th century here in Colorado. Mostly on buildings built higher then two stories of brick construction you'll see them between each story, such as hotels and schools.

 

[DCMatt]

 

[Tejaas]

For what it is worth...
Everyone here seems to be pointing towards 'old'...

Only you know the conditions in which you found it, and i will not venture a guess on how it came to be there.

Just keep in mind that these are still made today.

Seemingly every single tourist trap 'rustic art' business here in the Texas Hill Country has these same identical stars - with flash rust present - in bins/buckets of all different sizes for people to use to tack to their rustic furniture, outdoor structures, etc.

A lot of these hack 'rustic fabricators' use them for lamps, hat racks, paper towel holders, etc, too.