Eric Hopton for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online
A time capsule that was buried by Paul Revere and his fellow revolutionary Samuel Adams in 1795 has been unearthed by workers at the Massachusetts State House in Boston. The find came to light during investigations into a leak inside a cornerstone.
The discovery has inspired the imaginations of the city’s residents and The Boston Globe has published a full account of the find.
Historians were aware of the existence of the capsule and contemporary accounts described its burial by Revere, Governor Samuel Adams, and William Scollay. The original ceremony began in downtown Boston and ended at the State House. But, since its re-burial in 1855 after emergency repairs to the State House, the capsule itself lay undisturbed until now.
Museum of Fine Arts conservator Pam Hatchfield became the star of the show when she finally brought up the green box containing the capsule after a full day spent lying on her back on a muddy wooden plank. She had been working in snow and high winds and was so cold that a space heater had to be used to allow her to carry on digging. Seven workers were involved in the operation, which lasted seven hours. Hatchfield had chipped away carefully under a stone block to release the box. During the dig, some tiny silver coins fell out of the plaster that encased the box. It is believed that, during the 1855 reburial, public officials threw these coins in “for good luck.”
When the box was finally out, Hatchfield took a selfie with the capsule and said, “I feel happy and relieved. And excited. And really interested to see what’s in this box.”
Among the dignitaries present to see the final stages of the dig was Secretary of State William Galvin, who said, “Hopefully there will be no damage and we will be able to observe the artifacts that trace us back to the history not only just of this building, but of our Commonwealth and our country.”
Meghan Kelly, a spokeswoman for the Executive Office of Administration and Finance, told the Globe that historians believe the capsule contains “a collection of silver and copper coins dating from between 1652 and 1855; an engraved silver plate; newspapers; the seal of the Commonwealth; cards; and a title page from the Massachusetts Colony Records.”
Hatchfield later said that the copper alloy box was corroded by its burial, but was not damaged by during removal process. She described it as being slightly smaller than a cigar box but heavier than she had expected.
The time capsule was then given the honor of a State Police escort as it was transferred to the Museum of Fine Arts. The box will now be X-rayed to determine the contents. Galvin expressed some concern that there may have been some damage to the coins when they were reportedly washed in acid before the 1855 reburial.
The plan is to open the box in the coming days so that the contents can be checked. It will then be re-buried in its home in the same stone. No decision has yet been made on whether to add any objects to the capsule.
Hatchfield described the thrill of working on the dig. “I have been privileged to spend all of my working life handling incredibly precious and important objects, and it is very exciting every single time,” she said. “The sense of continuation of history that you get by entering a museum or historic site, but also by having it in your hands, is incredibly rewarding and enriching. And it gives meaning to a lot of people.”
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Read more about Time Capsule Buried By Paul Revere Unearthed In Boston
A time capsule that was buried by Paul Revere and his fellow revolutionary Samuel Adams in 1795 has been unearthed by workers at the Massachusetts State House in Boston. The find came to light during investigations into a leak inside a cornerstone.
The discovery has inspired the imaginations of the city’s residents and The Boston Globe has published a full account of the find.
Historians were aware of the existence of the capsule and contemporary accounts described its burial by Revere, Governor Samuel Adams, and William Scollay. The original ceremony began in downtown Boston and ended at the State House. But, since its re-burial in 1855 after emergency repairs to the State House, the capsule itself lay undisturbed until now.
Museum of Fine Arts conservator Pam Hatchfield became the star of the show when she finally brought up the green box containing the capsule after a full day spent lying on her back on a muddy wooden plank. She had been working in snow and high winds and was so cold that a space heater had to be used to allow her to carry on digging. Seven workers were involved in the operation, which lasted seven hours. Hatchfield had chipped away carefully under a stone block to release the box. During the dig, some tiny silver coins fell out of the plaster that encased the box. It is believed that, during the 1855 reburial, public officials threw these coins in “for good luck.”
When the box was finally out, Hatchfield took a selfie with the capsule and said, “I feel happy and relieved. And excited. And really interested to see what’s in this box.”
Among the dignitaries present to see the final stages of the dig was Secretary of State William Galvin, who said, “Hopefully there will be no damage and we will be able to observe the artifacts that trace us back to the history not only just of this building, but of our Commonwealth and our country.”
Meghan Kelly, a spokeswoman for the Executive Office of Administration and Finance, told the Globe that historians believe the capsule contains “a collection of silver and copper coins dating from between 1652 and 1855; an engraved silver plate; newspapers; the seal of the Commonwealth; cards; and a title page from the Massachusetts Colony Records.”
Hatchfield later said that the copper alloy box was corroded by its burial, but was not damaged by during removal process. She described it as being slightly smaller than a cigar box but heavier than she had expected.
The time capsule was then given the honor of a State Police escort as it was transferred to the Museum of Fine Arts. The box will now be X-rayed to determine the contents. Galvin expressed some concern that there may have been some damage to the coins when they were reportedly washed in acid before the 1855 reburial.
The plan is to open the box in the coming days so that the contents can be checked. It will then be re-buried in its home in the same stone. No decision has yet been made on whether to add any objects to the capsule.
Hatchfield described the thrill of working on the dig. “I have been privileged to spend all of my working life handling incredibly precious and important objects, and it is very exciting every single time,” she said. “The sense of continuation of history that you get by entering a museum or historic site, but also by having it in your hands, is incredibly rewarding and enriching. And it gives meaning to a lot of people.”
redOrbit.com
offers Science, Space, Technology, Health news, videos, images and reference information. For the latest science news, space news, technology news, health news visit redOrbit.com frequently. Learn something new every day."
Read more about Time Capsule Buried By Paul Revere Unearthed In Boston
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