Paul Revere's 1795 time capsule unearthed
December 12, 2014 -- Updated 1419 GMT (2219 HKT)
The box-shaped capsule
was placed by the Revolutionary-era duo in a cornerstone of the
Massachusetts State House in 1795, the year construction began on the
building, CNN affiliate WBZ reported.
When current-day workers
repairing a water leak found the hidden antique, they called in a local
expert from the Museum of Fine Arts who spent the better part of
Thursday delicately and painstakingly chipping away at the cornerstone
trying to extricate it.
"What we know the box
contains, based on the notes that we have, is a Paul Revere plate,
papers, and coins from the 1600s," said Massachusetts Secretary of State
William Galvin, who also heads the state's historical commission. "It
may contain other stuff too, we don't know that yet," he said.
Galvin told CNN that the
capsule's contents are expected to be revealed sometime next week. For
now, it's getting some TLC and a thorough exam -- including X-rays -- by
the museum's staff.
"The contents are of concern, but the plaster that held the box in place is in good condition," he said.
This is not the first
time this particular capsule was unearthed, according to Galvin. In 1855
it was dug up during emergency repairs to the State House and put back
in place when the cornerstone was reset.
Extra precautions were taken then to ensure the box's safekeeping.
"There were some coins
that were tossed in the 1855 ceremony in the mix of the mortar. They are
in good condition so we are optimistic that the box itself has
withstood the test of time and that it will therefore be holding the
contents securely," Galvin said.
Galvin says both
time-capsule events -- in 1795 and in1855 -- were chronicled in detail,
and said his office is looking into whether the box will be reinstated
and whether new items from the current era will be added to the box and
reburied.
CNN's Carma Hassan contributed to this story.
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