UPDATE DECEMBER 22, 2021:
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A state conservator in Virginia has begun the delicate task of trying to open a 134-year-old time capsule that had sat beneath a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Richmond. Conservator Chelsea Blake with Virginia’s Department of Historic Resources pressed a vibrating tool with a hard metal tip against the rectangular capsule Wednesday afternoon (Dec. 22, 2021). The container is about the size of a large shoe box. Opening it has so far proven to be a challenging and time consuming task. The container is made of lead and is heavily corroded. The capsule was also partly covered in mortar that must be gingerly chipped away. Both the box and its contents are considered artifacts.
ORIGINAL STORY DECEMBER 17, 2021:
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Crews working to remove the pedestal where a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee had stood believe they’ve found a time capsule buried there in 1887. The massive equestrian statue was taken down in September 2021. At the time, work crews were unable to locate the time capsule. But on Friday (Dec. 17, 2021), crews found a square box embedded in a granite stone. The governor’s chief of staff says crews need to extract the box to be sure it’s the capsule. An 1887 newspaper article suggests the capsule contains Civil War memorabilia and a “picture of Lincoln lying in his coffin,” although historians believe it’s doubtful the picture is an actual photograph.
Comments