Massachusetts officials in Boston are currently attempting to excavate a time capsule suspected to be buried in a cornerstone of the Massachusetts State House after attempts to repair a water leak led them to the discovery, State House News Service reported.
The capsule is believed to have been buried in 1795 by three American revolutionaries: Samuel Adams, Paul Revere and William Scollay, according to records found by Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick's administration that detailed a ceremony when the capsule was buried.
Based on those records, the capsule is believed to contain coins dating back to between 1652 and 1855, an engraved silver plate, newspapers, a seal of the Commonwealth, cards and a title page from the Massachusetts Colony Records, reported State House.
A few coins seem to have fallen out of the cornerstone at some point and were discovered and pictured this morning, reported Carl Stevens of WBZ NewsRadio.
It's not the first time that the capsule has been removed, as it was last unearthed during emergency repairs to the State House in 1855 before being reburied and left for future generations to discover.
The effort to remove the cornerstone from the southeast corner of the Bulfinch Building at the General Hooker entrance is being overseen by the Division of Capital Asset Management and the Secretary of State's office.
If the removal is successful, it will be the oldest time capsule ever found in the state at 219 years old, according to NECN News. Just a few months ago, a capsule was found hidden under the lion statue on State House grounds dating back to 1901.
After Thursday's successful removal, the capsule will be sent to the Museum of Fine Arts to be restored and preserved, state officials said.
