Renovation of the Gibson Fine Arts Center has led to an intriguing discovery: a time capsule lodged inside the original cornerstone.
It was an unexpected find. Little is known of this mysterious copper box; it receives no mention in the contemporaneous news coverage of the 1967 cornerstone-laying ceremony, and evidently there is no record extant of just what is contained inside.
The facts, scanty though they may be, are as follows: On Saturday, November 4, 1967, College President Daniel Z. Gibson stood at an outdoor lectern surrounded by a former governor and sundry officials and honorees, and presided over the cornerstone-laying of what was hailed by the local media as "the most extensive facility for music and drama on the Eastern Shore." The kick-off ceremony, part of a weekend packed with convocational and performing arts events, had been slated for earlier in the week. But a foul November rain forced a delay.
The College's archives yield but one photograph chronicling the moment; the astute observer notes the cornerstone lined up by the wall, but not yet lodged snugly into place. Inside that stone, already shielding its secrets, hides the enigmatic box.
So the mystery continues, for now. Were you there on that day in 1967? Can you provide even a scintilla of additional information regarding the capsule? Were you yourself party to filling it with whatever contents it houses to this very day? If so, please contact us at your earliest convenience. Inquiring minds want to know-whether it's safe to open.
Post your recollections at wcalumnet.com.
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