© 2024
Virginia's Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Crews may have found 1887 time capsule in Lee statue base

Workers begin the disassembly of the pedestal that once held the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue Wednesday Dec 8, 2021, in Richmond, Va. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam ordered the pedestal removed and the land granted to the City of Richmond. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Steve Helber/AP
/
AP
Workers begin the disassembly of the pedestal that once held the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue Wednesday Dec 8, 2021, in Richmond, Va. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam ordered the pedestal removed and the land granted to the City of Richmond. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Crews working to remove the pedestal where a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee had stood believe they’ve found a time capsule buried there in 1887.

The massive equestrian statue was taken down in September. At the time, work crews were unable to locate the time capsule. But on Friday, crews found a square box embedded in a granite stone.

The object was removed Friday afternoon. It'll be investigated by the state's Department of Historic Resources.

An 1887 newspaper article suggests the capsule contains Civil War memorabilia and a “picture of Lincoln lying in his coffin,” although historians believe it’s doubtful the picture is an actual photograph.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.