A neat discovery was made in New Martinsville Tuesday morning. While Jim Klug Excavating was tearing down the church at the corner of Maple Avenue and Virginia Street, the cornerstone was taken to be checked for a suspected time capsule. Because of its weight, the city’s street crew initially thought it was solid, but further inspected the stone’s underside and took off a stone cover to reveal a time capsule.

It was placed in the cornerstone of the Presbyterian Church on Nov. 8, 1901. The contents were contained in a glass jar that was broken. But the crew didn’t have to do any digging to find out what was inside. The time capsule creators had the forethought to include a typed letter of the capsule’s contents and who provided them in the jar’s lid.

Mostly the jar contained various coins and paper items such as a list of members, officers, and donors at the New Martinsville Presbyterian Church, the stone cutter’s journal, information on the church’s builders, newspapers of the day, and a copy of The Evening Dispatch announcing the shooting of President William McKinley. Obviously McKinely’s shooting on Sept. 6, 1901, and death on Sept. 14, 1901, less than two months before the capsule was sealed, were important to the people of New Martinsville, and the nation, at the time. One of the more interesting, or at least quirky, items in the capsule is a one-cent piece run over by President McKinley’s funeral train donated by J. F. Fair Jr.

The cornerstone and it contents, the capsule, were given to the New Martinsville. Presbyterian Church, its originator. Most recently the church housed the Nazarene Church. However, funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency paid for the demolition of the downtrodden building as part of their flood plain mitigation program.

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Contents of the jar deposited in the cornerstone of the Presbyterian Church on Nov. 8, 1901.

Copy of the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church, including the Confession of Faith, Form of Government and Discipline.

A list of the membership of the New Martinsville Presbyterian Church.

A list of the officers of the New Martinsville Presbyterian Church.

A list of contributors to the new church, to date, of the New Martinsville Presbyterian Church. Also a list of Building Committee of the new church.

The north-facing side of the cornerstone is carved with “Laid by the Masonic Fraternity, F.W. Clark as Grand Master Nov. 9, A.D. 1901, A.L. 5901”. A.L. is a Latin term, Anno Lucis, translated to mean “Year of Light” and refers to the creation of the world as determined by Bishop Ussher in 1650-1654. It is often used on Masonic cornerstones.

A list containing the name of the architect, contractor, and sub-contractors.

A copy of the stone cutter’s journal.

Copy of the Presbyterian Banner, the above furnished by the pastor of the church, Rev. Light.

Silver half dime and two two-cent pieces, presented by Maxine Ober.

Large copper cent, dated 1803, presented by J. Lee Harne, cashier, First National Bank.

Pictured are two of the coins found in the capsule.

Silver three-cent piece, presented by Foster Ober.

Canadian half-dimes, presented by Nelson Oblinger and Mat Ober.

Old English quarter dated 1816, presented by M.V. Ober.

10-cent bill and Chinese coin, presented by Mrs. P.L. Sargent.

Pan American Souvenir, presented by M.R. Garlock.

A photo of the demolition of the church in progress.

Rare five-cent piece and 1843 half dollar, presented by C.F. Rau.

Three-cent piece, presented by John Heber.

Old copper two-cent piece, presented by J.D. Ebans.

One-cent piece, run over by Pres. McKinley’s funeral train, presented by J.M. Fair Jr.

Mexican dollar, dated 1842

One volume “Fables of Flora” dated 1794, formerly owned by Lady Middleton of England, presented by John W. Kaufmann.

Masonic cards, presented by Robert McGhee.

25-cent bill, fractional currency, presented by E.W. Rouse.

Masonic emblem, presented by C.E. Burlingame.

Copy of The Holy Bible, presented by Rev. A.D. Light, pastor of the church.

Canadian half-penny, dated 1852, presented by W.J. McCray.

A directory of the Masonic bodies of Wheeling and directory of the Scottish Rite Body in the Valley of Wheeling, presented by Joseph Hall of Wheeling.

Current copies of the Wetzel Democrat, Wetzel Republican, and New Martinsville News, also a first copy of The Evening Dispatch and a copy announcing the shooting of Pres. McKinley.

Columbian half-dollar, presented by Miss Bessie E. Tarr.

Small leather-bound Testament, carried by soldier during Cuban War, presented by Miss Bird Heber of Sewickley, Pa.

Copy of the New Martinsville News, containing large portrait and announcing the assassination of President McKinley, presented by M.V. Ober.

Copy of the by-laws and list of membership of Wetzel Lodge No. 39.