A time capsule unearthed from the Massachusetts State House cornerstone will be opened on Tuesday, Jan. 6, at 6 p.m. This will be the first time the time capsule’s contents will see the light of day since 1855. It was dedicated in 1795 when ground broke on the building designed by renowned Boston architect Charles Bulfinch.
Conservators from Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts x-rayed the 10-pound box measuring 5.5 x 7.5 x 1.5- inches and have a good idea of what lies inside.
The museum expects to find an engraved silver plate, a copper medal depicting George Washington, newspapers, the seal of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, cards, a title page from the Massachusetts Colony Records, and several coins made of gold and silver that could date as far back as 1652. To put in perspective as to how old that truly is, consider it’s four solid decades before the Salem Witch Trials rocked New England.
Noted patriot and celebrated midnight rider Paul Revere oversaw the placement and accompanying ceremony of the time capsule, serving then as the Grand Master of the Freemason Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. Revere was invited by fellow revolutionary Governor Sam Adams and accompanied by William Scollay.
In 1855 emergency repairs to the State House resulted in the accidental finding of the time capsule. The aforementioned silver plate, engraved with the names of Revere, Adams and Scollay, was again engraved though with the name of Governor Henry J. Gardner, dated August 11, 1855.
Thought to be the oldest time capsule discovered in the entire country, the time capsule’s rediscovery was preceded by one found hidden in the statue of the lion on the roof of the Old State House. That one rang in at 113-years old and contained several photos, newspaper clips, political button, receipts and envelopes, one of which was curiously addressed to posterity but contained nothing.
