Doorstops have always existed, but they were made in a very improvised way. For example, they were made with lead bricks (which later turned out to be toxic), small wedges of wood, rubber, fabric, plastic, cotton or other material. The wedge was kicked into place and the force of the door, blocked by the doorstop itself, provided enough static friction to keep it immobile.
The first specially produced doorstops date back to the 18th century in Europe, becoming widely produced in Europe in the early 19th century. By the mid-19th century, manufacturing had mainly relocated to the United States.
Despite their early production, credit for the invention of the doorstop is usually given to Osburn Dursey, an African American inventor, in 1878. The doorstop was Dursey's most famous invention and was awarded a US patent, number 210,764, for the invention.