Edith shared with me the information below. I'm very interested in where the original 1900 capsule may be. Any ideas?
Fairmount School was originally a wooden building. In the early 1900s it was replaced by a new brick building which included the now center section the current building. The North and South wings and the 3rd floor were added over time. later. In 1985 I was involved in several searches for a time capsule that was said to be buried on school property during the dedication of the original school in June, 1900. Despite our best efforts, this capsule (if it existed) remains lost to history.
In 1986, a new time capsule was buried. The Fairmount School Time Capsule was buried during the time of the restoration of the Statue of Liberty. The entire school was involved for nearly a whole year to commemorate the restoration and the activities ended with the 'burying' of the Fairmount School Time Capsule. The capsule was sealed on 6/11/1986 and is to be opened one hundred years from then, 6/11/ 2086. A bronze plaque commemorating the Fairmount School Time Capsule was hung on the wall of the Fairmount School auditorium vestibule, in the hopes that the capsule would not be forgotten. The capsule is a red, white, and blue cement and plastic rectangular container with a slightly domed lid, which was closed securely. It is located immediately to the right as one enters the vestibule of the auditorium, behind the cinder block wall on floor level. Also, it may be reached by entering the closet. It is behind the right closet wall on floor level. The contents of the capsule include: 1. An historical perspective of times preceding 1986 including a map of the Hackensack area, old post card views of Hackensack, an historical record of Hackensack Public schools by George M. Scudder, Fairmount 1915 by George M. Scudder, and a file on Old Bergen County. 2. A glimpse into life in 1986 during the time of the Restoration and Celebration of the Statue of Liberty including: a Sears catalog, magazines including 4 issues of Time, 1 New York, 1 New Jersey, 1 Esquire, 1 Smithsonian, newspapers including New York News and New York Times, and various coins of the day. Items from the July 4 celebration include: postal stamps of the day, special issue of the Record (newspaper), Liberty flag and Liberty silver dollar. 3. How Fairmount School celebrated the restoration during a year long series of activities culminating in a Statue of Liberty Day at Fairmount. The file includes a copy of play, program, 1986 photo of Fairmount School, letters, certificate of donation to the Statue of Liberty Restoration, children's work and stars from bulletin board. 4. School memorabilia includes: Fairmount banner, yearbook, sample report card, photos, curriculum guides, literary magazine created by student, faculty and staff autograph book. There is also a letter describing the contents of the capsule to those who open it and an old key to Fairmount School.
I have a list of what each grade contributed to the time capsule as well as more details on the year long activities associated with the Statue of Liberty Restoration if interested.
It was quite a year, full of activities. Maybe one day one of our future relatives will have the pleasure and excitement of opening the capsule and discovering what life was like back in 1986. How can be preserve this info, so it is not lost over the next 70 years or so?
