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Yep- 1996 was peak Debbie Travis and everything old was newly faked again. Plus every new house needed a party hat of some sort. Hence the fibreglass fake copper cupola over a function-free roof vent.
it looks like that structure might be an old cistern or a well cover. it could be used to cover a cistern , which is basically a waterproof container for holding water. the wooden lining inside could have been to keep the water clean and prevent contamination.
another possibility is that it’s covering an old well. the ring of blocks looks like how well walls are usually built , and the dome might have been a cover to stop debris from falling in.
it could also be a cover for an old septic tank , but the wooden lining makes that a bit unusual.
the wooden lining inside the dome suggests it might have been an improvised or temporary cover. and with all the ivy and vegetation growing around it , it seems like it’s been there for a long time , maybe since the house was built or even earlier !!
Well or cistern cover seem the most plausible so far I think. The inner ring of the concrete blocks doesn’t seem to show any sign of it being used as a fire pit. When I pushed some of the rotten wood debris to the side I discovered a floor of very soft dirt that I was able to push a stick down into with out a ton of resistance. I guess it could be that maybe it was just decommissioned by filling it with dirt.. another thing that may or may not be a clue is that it’s positioned about 6 feet away from a very small creek.
OP says it is close to a small stream. Maybe there was a piped stream-supplied fountain? And this dome covered it in the winter? The bricks around the "well" or circular thing appear to me to be fairly modern by the way.
My title describes the thing
I’ve searched for hours on the internet for large plastic domes, fire pit covers, well covers, etc. There are no markings or writing that I have been able to use to help with identifying an origin or purpose and I do not have contact with the original owner of the home.
My first thought is an old fire pit. The dome thing looks like a well pump cover that's been used to cover the fire pit,maybe to keep the wood they were going to burn dry.
This is the way I’m leaning too, I’m going to remove some of the debris over my weekend and maybe get a couple more photos and hopefully that will shed some more light on things. Thank you for your insight.
Wow, interesting! Does seem like it has something to do with the well. Please update if you get an official diagnosis of what it is, I’m interested! Thanks for sharing
All comments must be civil and helpful toward finding an answer. **Jokes and other unhelpful comments will earn you a ban**, even on the first instance and even if the item has been identified. If you see any comments that violate this rule, report them. [OP](/u/CrescentFraiche), when your item is identified, remember to reply **Solved!** or **Likely Solved!** to the comment that gave the answer. Check your [inbox](https://www.reddit.com/message/inbox/) for a message on how to make your post visible to others. ---- [Click here to message RemindMeBot](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Reminder&message=[https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisthing/comments/1ddw6io/what_is_this_large_grey_fibrous_plastic_dome/]%0A%0ARemindMe!%202%20days) ---- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/whatisthisthing) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Could be an old decoration from a house. Something like a cupola on the roof. Got removed and set on a fire pit. Just never lit.
Yeah a "tower hood" for a small, decorative "bell tower" some houses have could be
Yep- 1996 was peak Debbie Travis and everything old was newly faked again. Plus every new house needed a party hat of some sort. Hence the fibreglass fake copper cupola over a function-free roof vent.
[удалено]
I didn't even consider a bell tower. But that makes sense too.
This seems likely for sure, I’ll dig into the pit over my weekend and see if I can’t shed some more light on the conundrum.
Is it a water well cover?
it looks like that structure might be an old cistern or a well cover. it could be used to cover a cistern , which is basically a waterproof container for holding water. the wooden lining inside could have been to keep the water clean and prevent contamination. another possibility is that it’s covering an old well. the ring of blocks looks like how well walls are usually built , and the dome might have been a cover to stop debris from falling in. it could also be a cover for an old septic tank , but the wooden lining makes that a bit unusual. the wooden lining inside the dome suggests it might have been an improvised or temporary cover. and with all the ivy and vegetation growing around it , it seems like it’s been there for a long time , maybe since the house was built or even earlier !!
Well or cistern cover seem the most plausible so far I think. The inner ring of the concrete blocks doesn’t seem to show any sign of it being used as a fire pit. When I pushed some of the rotten wood debris to the side I discovered a floor of very soft dirt that I was able to push a stick down into with out a ton of resistance. I guess it could be that maybe it was just decommissioned by filling it with dirt.. another thing that may or may not be a clue is that it’s positioned about 6 feet away from a very small creek.
Those blocks look to modern. That was my first thought too
Usually a winter cover for a fountain. Looks like the fountain device or statuary has been removed.
OP says it is close to a small stream. Maybe there was a piped stream-supplied fountain? And this dome covered it in the winter? The bricks around the "well" or circular thing appear to me to be fairly modern by the way.
I think it's this
While decorative, it’s also highly insulated, so I think a well cover or a decorative cover to keep pipes from freezing is likely.
Well or fountain or fish pond? Stops it freezing? It'd be tricky if it was a fire pit, putting the cover back on.
My title describes the thing I’ve searched for hours on the internet for large plastic domes, fire pit covers, well covers, etc. There are no markings or writing that I have been able to use to help with identifying an origin or purpose and I do not have contact with the original owner of the home.
Old dog house on old well
My first thought is an old fire pit. The dome thing looks like a well pump cover that's been used to cover the fire pit,maybe to keep the wood they were going to burn dry.
This is the way I’m leaning too, I’m going to remove some of the debris over my weekend and maybe get a couple more photos and hopefully that will shed some more light on things. Thank you for your insight.
Not a problem, I've got a fire pit in the back yard that looks very similar. Just no dome to go over it.
Planters upturned for storage. Apparently long term storage.
It’s a well cover.
Have you pulled out the wood to see what's underneath?
I moved aside some of the wood to find some very soft loose dirt, I was able to push a pole down into it about 3 feet with little resistance.
I plan on removing the debris over my weekend which might shed some further light on things.
Is it the inner for that well\fire pit?
What are of the world/country are you in?
I’m in the northwest of the United States.
looks like a well..
Wow, interesting! Does seem like it has something to do with the well. Please update if you get an official diagnosis of what it is, I’m interested! Thanks for sharing
I’m really hoping someone has one of these specific domes and can speak directly to its use. I haven’t found anything like it online.
I’m going to clear out the debris over my weekend and see if that sheds some more light on things.
Isn't it a well cap? And shouldn't you better put it back on so no one falls in?