Backyard Mystery

We have a little mystery here at the house (other than how are the lizards/salamanders getting in?).

At the bottom of the steps that lead to the lawn from the back deck, there's this:




It's concrete, about a foot square and has a stone-like handle (what I'm calling a handle) at one end. It looks like a door that is set in a frame of concrete, but if it is a door, it hasn't been opened or lifted in a LONG, long time.  If that small piece is a handle, it's only partially intact.

It would normally be covered with lawn, and since Fall, lots of leaves.  The wind and rain have made it more visible these past weeks.

I have wondered if it is a covered abandoned water well.  I tried finding information about abandoned wells from the State of North Carolina but all I can find so far is information about how abandoned wells are to be closed off now.  Which is actually complicated.  If this is an old well, it is really old.  

My imagination says this property was at one time farm land or maybe an old homestead and in more contemporary times,was sold for housing developments.

I could be way off base, who knows.  But it's fun thinking about it!