Home > Virtual Exhibits >
by Ron Hughes
July 22, 2024
1951 corner stone time capsule monument shown pulled away from the wall.
By April 2021, “time” had taken its toll on the 1951 cornerstone time capsule memorial that is located on the north side of the Sanford Centennial Museum.
This situation was exacerbated by the 2020 flood when the rushing waters from the burst dams further eroded the soil beneath the base of the memorial, causing it to tip away from the building.
The time capsule originated at Sanford Elementary School on West River Road where construction began in the spring of 1951, and the school was dedicated in the fall of 1952.
50 years later, on December 6th, 2002, an anniversary celebration of the school’s construction took place, and the time capsule was opened and is now reinserted in the display wall along with another time capsule by the celebrants, with additional items to be opened in 2052.
Hydraulic jacks were used to raise the monument back to its original position.
John Billingsley, representing the Sanford Historical Society, made a presentation to the Meridian School Board of Education, and convinced them to donate the cornerstone and time capsule to the museum, where it would be put on display. It was donated to the museum in the spring of 2008, where it is located today. Mason Dennis Crowl provided the brick work around the corner stone.
A concrete mixer was used onsite to mix the concrete for the new and expanded footer.
John Billingsley and David Haskin procured the plaque you see today.
Wooden forms were used to secure the concrete while it was hardening.
This brings us to the 2021 restoration work. David Haskin and Chuck Dinsmore dug out the dirt around the base and used jacks to raise the memorial to the full upright position, and then built a form and poured a larger concrete foundation. Once the concrete was set, Nick Kraemer assisted Chuck and Dave in repairing the landscaping around the monument.
Here is what the plaque on the display says:
SANFORD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
CORNER STONE TIME CAPSULE
CONSTRUCTION STARTED SPRING 1951
SCHOOL DEDICATED FALL 1952
SCHOOL REDEDICATED FALL 2002
DONATED TO MUSEUM SPRING 2008
REOPENED TIME CAPSULE FALL 2052
Photos by David Haskin and Mary Hughes.
