I've seen here in Houston a pretty good number of homes built in the 50's and early 60's that had open bbq pits made from brick. Some were no doubt built by the homeowner, but I think also the builder would offer these up as an option, like it was a trendy thing there for a while. Some of these pits still stand as built, but most are pretty much rubble at this point.
We had one of those behind our house that we lived in when I was very young back in the 1960's. I put the fire out with the garden hose one time playing fireman. That really ticked my Mother off. :-D