BOSTON (CNN) – A golden lion perched on top of the Old State House in Boston has been hiding a secret for more than a century.
It was built in 1713, and is the oldest public building in the country.
Last weekend the statues of a unicorn and lion were removed from the top of the building to be restored. Inside the lion statue there was a fascinating discovery:
“We discovered that there was a time capsule that had been secreted in the lion’s head at the turn of the 19th to 20th century,” said Brian LeMay, Bostonian Society.
Inside the lion a 1901 time capsule there could be a look at life in turn of the century Boston, and a chance to travel back in time more than a 100 years.
“From what I understand they put some very historic items in there, so I can’t wait to see it,” said Paul Sacco, Freedom Trail Foundation.
Once the historic lion was removed from the top of this building it would have been tempting to simply crack it open and see what was inside, but that would have been exactly the wrong way to do it.
“We sent a tiny TV camera inside the lion’s head and discovered that it’s still there,” LeMay said. “We haven’t opened it up yet have to figure out how to take it out of the lion without damaging it.”
The lion could be opened up as soon as next week, that’s when the mystery will be solved.
After that revelation, historians are about to hide another secret.
When the lion is put back on the statehouse, it will be filled with a time capsule from today.
Copyright 2014 WBZ, PAUL SACCO, BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY via CNN. All rights reserved.