Jars Found In Baltimore's Washington Monument Time Capsule
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Historic find. For the second time during the restoration of the Washington Monument in Mount Vernon, a time capsule has been found.
Marcus Washington was there as the items in the capsule were revealed to the public for the first time.
The Washington Monument has stood for 200 years as a sign of pride—and most recently, revealing those centuries of history.
"But to actually be able to find this 1815 moment in time is just incredible," said Lance Humphries, Mt. Vernon Place Conservancy.
Inside were four glass bottles or jars with newspapers of the day inside. Some are even wrapped in newspapers.
Humphries tells WJZ most of the items are well preserved, but there are signs of moisture and mold.
"We really don't know what we're going to do yet," he said. "We have conservators from the Walters Art Museum who are advising us right now about what's the best thing for the long term preservation of the items."
Guarded by caution tape, separating history from the public, sits the cornerstone discovered last Wednesday.
"As we were digging that, we noticed that there was this very unusual stone," said Humphries.
Mentioned in historical accounts but never its actual location, the cornerstone was found during the digging of a sewage tank pit.
"I don't know another feeling in all my days on this Earth that matched that at this point," said George Wilk II, Lewis Contractors.
It may be hard to believe, but during its construction, everything north of the Washington Monument was a wooded area. On July 4, 1815, thousands of people watched as they placed the cornerstone at its base.
"In 1815, 200 years ago this year, they were putting up monuments in the city so everyone in the country would remember that they had just defeated the British in 1814," said Burt Kummerow, Maryland Historical Society president.
The Washington Monument in Baltimore is the first monument built in honor of our nation's first president. Two-hundred years later, it continues to showcase the pride of our country.
The Washington Monument's $5.5 million restoration started in January, 2014. The completion is scheduled for the end of this spring, with a bicentennial celebration on the Fourth of July.
