Time Capsules Opened—

The Past Pays A Visit At Congregational Church Service

By Shannon Hicks

The children of Newtown Congregational Church crowded around a table that had been set up in the altar area of the church last Sunday morning as the Reverend Steve Gordon opened a pair of time capsules that had been buried in NCC’s former church house more than a half-century ago. The town’s congregational church recently completed a major building project, which has pulled together its sanctuary, church offices, and classrooms under the same roof for the first time in nearly 50 years.

The parents of these children and dozens of other adults sat in the pews as Rev Gordon, the senior minister of the church, carefully pulled open the side of one box. Most of the adults were just as excited as the children. They leaned forward as Rev Gordon began pulling items out of the copper box, which had been discovered late last summer when the former church house on Main Street was demolished.

“I chose Epiphany Sunday because with these time capsules we’re opening gifts,” the Rev Gordon said to his congregants. “I can’t promise gold, frankincense, or myrrh, but we are truly opening a gift.

“I have had these time capsules in my office since November, and I’ve been as curious as the rest of you,” he said, donning a pair of heavy work gloves. Church member Larry Whippie had cut into the two metal boxes — one dated 1948 and the other 1957 — so that Rev Gordon would be able to open them Sunday morning. Until that moment, no one had seen inside either of the boxes since they were sealed 57 and 48 years ago, respectively.

Rev Gordon said he had been told when he first began serving at Newtown Congregational Church that there had been time capsules buried in the old church house, but no one seemed to know exactly where they were nor did anyone recall their contents.

Rev Gordon was indeed like a child on Christmas morning, as he pulled open the side of the 1948 box and peered inside. Before he began pulling out the carefully wrapped items, Rev Gordon invited Bob Hall to join him. Mr Hall’s family has long been involved in Newtown Congregational Church, and Mr Hall — who was in third grade when the first time capsule was assembled, and whose mother was assistant Sunday School superintendent — remembered the excitement of putting the container together.

Each item in 1948 had been separately wrapped in cellophane before being place into the box. Interestingly, the items in the 1957 box had not been carefully wrapped, yet they came out of the box in good condition. Considering the relatively small size of each metal box — neither measured more than approximately 12 by 12 by 3 inches — the organizers of each time capsule packed quite a few goodies into each offering.

Among the items found in the first box was a pair of 1948 silver dollars, one each of a 1948 nickel and dime, a three-cent postage stamp.

There was a sketch of the church building and the blueprints for the building, the building contract, one of the sermons delivered by the Reverend Paul Cullens. Rev Cullens was the pastor of Newtown Congregational Church for 37 years, from 1928 to 1964, the longest ministry in the history of the Newtown church.

There was a copy of the Connecticut Conference of Congregational Churches, the bylaws for the NCC Women’s Federation, and the minutes from one of the fellowship’s meetings, a postcard showing the Congregational church, a worship card for Trinity Episcopal Church, and the bulletin for June 13,1948, which was NCC’s Children’s Day that year.

Peg (née Sherman) Forbell, who was among the dozens of adults in attendance for the opening of the time capsules on Sunday, was thrilled to hear her name read from that bulletin. For her class, June 13 had been Confirmation Sunday — the day the eighth grade students received their Bibles from the church.

Newspapers included a September 24 issue of The Newtown Bee, and a copy of the Sunday, October 24, issue of The New York Times.

The box also included a copy of the rare book Historical Notes & Maps: Newtown, 1708–1758, written by John Neville Boyle and published by The Bee Publishing Co. in 1945. There was also a faded photograph of a man identified as Arthur W. Reynolds, who can be seen shoveling in the image, and on a small slip of paper the name of the mason who had built the copper time capsule itself.

The time capsule from 1957 was equally enjoyable. There were two issues of The Newtown Bee (dated May 17 and June 7), which were selling for ten cents an issue. An annual subscription was $4.

On the front page of the May 17 Bee were the photos of the top three students for Newtown High School’s Class of 1957. When the Rev Gordon read that it was Robert Hall who had been tapped as the class’s valedictorian, applause broke out from Mr Hall’s fellow church members. (For the record, Justine Carroll had earned salutatorian honors, and George Geckle earned third honors that year.)

Other front page headlines included “Park Opening Set For Memorial Day,” referring to Dickinson Memorial, which officially opened on May 30, 1957; “Dogwood Given Park In Memory Of Cub Scout,” a related story about the decision by Newtown Cub Scouts to present a pink dogwood tree to Fenn Dickinson Memorial Park in memory of the former Newtown Cub Scout Stevie Cooper; and “Play Ball: Little League Season Opens Sat.”

Headlines from June 7’s front page included “Town Zoning Adopted By Decisive Vote”; “Many At Hearing Oppose Gravel Plant,” concerning an evening meeting in which one of two main items on the agenda was a plant proposed at “Botsford station”; “Mental Hospital Bill Is Passed In Legislature,” referring to the state hospital at Fairfield Hills; “Unusual Exhibition Opens at Library”; and “Mrs Webb Is Installed As President of PTA.”

A July 7 issue of the Herald Tribune had a front-page photo of former President Harry S. Truman celebrating the opening of his Presidential Library. The leading headline on the sports section that day read “Dodgers and Giants Lose; Yankees Win.” It is the second, lower headline that is more arresting: “Miss Gibson Wins at Wimbledon” commemorates a major event in the general world of sports, tennis in particular, and for all black athletes.

There was also a copy of the June 24 issue of Newsweek magazine, and a brochure entitled Your Perfect Winter Vacation.

There was another collection of church-related items, including an NCC Visitor’s Card and a copy of the NCC bylaws; a copy of the canvas letter from the church’s stewardship committee; a copy of the church’s annual report; a Children’s Religion booklet; the report of the NCC Planning Commission; a listing of The Complete Curriculum of Christian Education, plus a selection of Sunday School books; and the bulletins from Children’s Day and Easter Sunday.

Peg Samuels had married Ed Forbell by 1957, and their daughter, April Louise, was baptized on Children’s Day 1957.

“Boy, a lot happened between 1948, when I was confirmed, and 1957, when I had a child baptized,” she laughed.

The 1957 kindergarten class had written notes in response to their teacher prompting them to answer what they “want to tell people of the future who will open the [time capsule] in the far, far future.”

Among the young writers represented in that collection was Keith Roberts, whose family has also long been involved with Newtown Congregational Church. Currently a member of the church’s senior choir, Mr Roberts said that he did not remember writing that note, but eagerly walked over from the choir seats to look at his own handwriting of years ago.

A list of signatures was believed to be a representation of those who had assembled the 1957 time capsule. The final signature on that sheet was that of Rev Cullens.

Also enclosed was a series of notes by Sunday school students including prayers and a listing of the Ten Commandments.

Rev Gordon decided to use one of those prayers as the Benediction for Sunday’s worship service. After reading the sincere words pulled together nearly five decades ago by Sally Ann Carey, Sandy Grant, Ruth Hibbard, and Antonia Weterstrass, Rev Gordon promised his congregation that there will be closer inspection of the pieces of history that had been uncovered. He also hopes, he said, to put some of the items on display in the near future.

One young girl, who must have been inspired by her Sunday school counterparts of years ago, walked tentatively up to Rev Gordon then and said she thought a new time capsule should be put together “now that we have our own new building.”

The Rev Gordon smiled at the girl, and nodded in agreement.