WOBURN, Mass. — A 113-year-old, shoebox-sized time capsule was removed Thursday from the head of a lion statue where it had long sat atop one of Boston’s most famous landmarks.
When the copper box was carefully pried open, it revealed at least one mystery: a red, hardcover book with no visible title or markings. The contents of the book — and the rest of the items in the box — will remain a mystery for a bit longer, as they were deemed too fragile to remove immediately.
The time capsule was placed inside the lion’s head in 1901 and then forgotten. Its presence at the Old State House had recently been confirmed. The Bostonian Society, which oversees the building, had expected it to contain a potpourri of photographs and newspaper clippings from the period, along with a missive to future generations penned by a group of Boston journalists.
“I’m absolutely delighted by the conditions inside the box,” said Brian LeMay, the society’s president, noting little sign of mold or water damage. Historians had feared the contents could have been destroyed had the box been improperly sealed.