Fireback 1703 American Cast iron firebacks served the dual purpose of reflecting the heat of a fire back into a room and protecting vulnerable bricks and plaster on the back wall of a fireplace. Cast with the image of a stone fortress, bristling with cannons and a commanding figure standing atop a rampart, flying a British flag, it also features the date 1703,” possibly the year of its manufacture.. Fireback. American. 1703. Cast iron. Possibly made in Newport, Rhode Island, United States