What did we find in the City Hall time capsule

On April 29, 1961, John F. Kennedy had been President for just over three months, the newly unveiled Jaguar E-Type was the fastest production car in the world (and could be had for $5,670), and Spartanburg City leaders gathered with local Free Masons and members of the public and the media to place a copper box in the cornerstone of a newly constructed City Hall.

The cornerstone-laying ceremony at City Hall was the second of three held that day, with ceremonies at the new Spartanburg County Courthouse and Spartanburg County Library held before and after, respectively. Earlier this month, we invited local residents and media to join us as we opened the time capsule before demolition of the City Hall that housed it, set to commence in the coming weeks.

Inside that copper box were items they chose to tell the story of both their local government and their community in the mid-20th century to future generations, in the hopes that we might better understand their work, their priorities, and their time in Spartanburg history. Like today, theirs was a period of growth and development in Downtown Spartanburg, with investments in new public facilities reflecting a spirit of optimism and collaboration evident in the writings they included.

"Whereas, these three buildings not only attest to the community's ready response to the governmental and cultural needs of its people, but also emphasize the common bonds between the City and County of Spartanburg," reads a copy of Mayor Neville Holcombe's Proclamation of Cornerstone Day included in the time capsule. Many other documents included share a similar spirit.

Many of the items included in the time capsule were specific to City Government, including lists of the City's priorities for 1960 and 1961. Among those priorities were the development of Morgan Square to include parking, planning for the widening of Church Street through downtown, and starting an "effective air pollution control program."

In addition to the priority lists, other items shown in the above photo include:

• A photo of the 1961 City Council
• Photos of the demolition of the previous 1914 City Hall and photos of the construction of the 1961 City Hall
• City Annual Reports for 1959 and 1960
• The City's Annual Budget for fiscal year 1960-1961
• The Business License Tax Ordinance
• Conditions of Employment for City Employees
• A program from the dedication of the new City Hall
• The City Electrical Ordinance
• The City Zoning Ordinance
• The City Personnel Service Schedule
• A copy of recently issued Parking Facilities Improvement Revenue Bonds
• A City Financial Report from 1961
• A section of rope used to denote reserved seats at the dedication of the new City Hall
• A section of ribbon across the door from the dedication of the new City Hall
• A dollar bill belonging to longtime City employee, Joe Box
• The City Comprehensive Plan
• The City Code of Ordinances

Besides local government documents, the time capsule also included items from the County and the Greater Spartanburg Chamber of Commerce. Also included was and a collection of coins highlighting important years in the city's history, donated by Ralph L. Crutchfield, Jr. In addition to the coins and a document listing them and the significance of each, other items shown above are:

• A list of items included in the time capsule
• A draft program from the annual meeting of the Municipal Association of South Carolina, held in Spartanburg that year
• A copy of the dedication prayer given at the dedication of the new City Hall by Dr. James S. Day, Jr., Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church
• A joint comprehensive area development plan for Spartanburg County and the City of Spartanburg
• A pair of marketing brochures for Spartanburg County produced by the Chamber of Commerce
• 1960 Municipal Year Book, published by the International City/County Management Association
• A proclamation from Mayor Neville Holcombe declaring April 29, 1961 as Cornerstone Day in the City of Spartanburg
• A "Presentation of Facts" report on Spartanburg County produced by the Chamber of Commerce
• A map of Spartanburg County
• A dedication program for the new Spartanburg County Courthouse
• A copy of the City Directory
• A schedule for the three cornerstone laying ceremonies held on April 29, 1961

Also included in the time capsule were copies of recent newspapers and magazines shared to provide some context for the local and national news landscape at the time. Local Free Masons who participated in the cornerstone laying also included items. Shown in the photo above are:

• The Ahiman Rezon Constituion and Code of the Grand Lodge of Ancient Free Masons of South Carolina
• Proceedings from several Grand Lodge of Ancient Free Masons of South Carolina
• annual gatherings in 1960
• A copy of "Masonic Light," the official bulletin of the Grand Lodge of Ancient Free Masons of South Carolina
• A silver plate with the names of officials of four local Masonic lodges
• Copies of the Spartanburg Herald and Spartanburg Journal, including a special issue from 1956 in both English and Greek
• A copy of the Spartanburg Phone Book
• A copy of U.S. News & World Report from 1960 covering Fidel Castro's Communist takeover of Cuba

Aside from the wonderful cache of items included in the time capsule, one of the most remarkable finds was that the items themselves were in such excellent condition. Documents and publications more than 60 years old appear as though they could've rolled off the printing press recently. Care was taken to wrap items securely in plastic and the copper box itself was securely soldered shut, ensuring that all of the items survived decades of fluctuating temperatures and made it to us in near pristine shape.

So now that we've opened the time capsule and had a look inside at what was shared with us, what happens to those items?

Thanks to our friends at Spartanburg County Public Libraries, the items inside will be preserved and archived for future generations. The time capsule items will soon be on display in the Kennedy Room of the Library Headquarters, where residents can stop by and see for themselves what local leaders left for them 63 years ago.

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