The Lexington Town Hall time capsule might have been forgotten about, or at least buried deep in the recesses of the town’s mind—hopefully to be dug back up in 2043, less than 18 years from now.

Left with more questions than answers after noticing a timeline on the town’s website detailing a 50-year-old time capsule placed in the town hall and scheduled to be opened on Jan. 15, 2043, the Chronicle started reaching out to town officials and other longtime figures in the community to find out more.

Only by pulling historic records did Lexington County Museum Director J.R. Fennell find a partial article from the Nov. 19, 1992, issue of The State newspaper.

“The only thing I know about a time capsule in Town Hall is the one mentioned in this clip of The State Newspaper,” he said.

In efforts to preserve a piece of 1992 Lexington history, Town of Lexington employees buried this time capsule filled with different items to be uncovered in 50 years, according to the 1992 State article.

More than 40 different items will be found in the capsule when it is set to be uncovered in January 2043. Items include various newspaper articles from 1992, Town of Lexington payroll scales, maps, general town history, letters from different individuals and groups, and photographs of different town council members, past mayors, and Miss South Carolina 1992, Dr. Carrie Davis.

The article also says that the plans for the present-day Town Hall building on Maiden Lane were placed in the time capsule. The building was under construction when the capsule was locked away for preservation.

Fennell said the items that were chosen to be encapsulated may not be as glamorous as one might think.

Information is not provided on exactly where this time capsule is placed in Town Hall, but the article gives a clue that it is placed inside a vault within an inner wall of the building.

“Sometimes these things can get lost in translation over the years,” Fennell told the Chronicle. “The town officials and council members who worked to encapsulate this time capsule have since retired or passed on. Many times, an effort like this time capsule relies heavily on word of mouth to keep it alive in present today. If this type of effort is not brought back to the public light, then it can easily be overlooked.”

If it had not been posted under the Historic Dates tab of the town’s website, the community might not have known it was there, Fennell said.

“With the Town Hall time capsule being reintroduced to the community again after many years, I am hopeful that we will be more intentional and mindful of history preservation efforts that have been set by previous generations before us.”

The town is certainly not alone in almost forgetting about its time capsule, though.

According to a 2024 article from historian Katrina Gulliver, many time capsules were created or opened in the second half of the 20th century, reaching a peak around the year 2000.

“Although the term ‘time capsule’ was coined at the 1939 New York World’s Fair, time capsules as a concept date back to the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, when autographs, photographs, and other artifacts were sealed in various cities,” Gulliver wrote.

She also quotes historian Nick Yablon in saying that the intent behind time capsules wasn’t ever to save or preserve items that wouldn’t otherwise survive. Instead, what is chosen to be in time capsules reflects the values of those who had the power to choose or approve the contents.

“The century-plus craze for capsules means that there could be ‘hundreds of forgotten time capsules that have overshot their target date and remain below ground today, their location and contents now unknown,’” Gulliver wrote, quoting Yablon.

Bryn Eddy contributed to this report.