How to Make a Time Capsule: Lessons from the Centennial Box

The creators of Sandwich's Centennial Box didn't have an instruction manual in 1876 when they launched one of America's first time capsules on a 100-year voyage. Their wood-and-tin box looks as crude to us as the Mayflower or a Mercury spacecraft.

But like those other pioneering voyagers, it delivered the goods. On July 4, 1976, the 200th birthday of the United States, town leaders opened the lid and fulfilled the 19th century community's wish to link generations.

In this section of a photo taken by Gordon E. Caldwell for The Village Broadsider, Sandwich town historian Russell A. Lovell Jr. examines a Civil War-era edition of Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper during the opening ceremony for the Centennial Box at the Wing School on July 4, 1976. To Lovell’s right is Selectman Benjamin D. Fleet Jr. 

Time capsules have become a popular concept, so it's likely that many communities will consider such projects as they celebrate America's 250th birthday in 2026. These planners could learn a lot from the successes--and the missteps--of the centennial generation.

They'd want to know why Russell A. Lovell Jr., the town historian, could use the words "mint condition" when he and several thousand other celebrators first looked inside the Centennial Box. But they'd also want to know why he referred to the contents as "an old men's Box" full of paper.

So America, here are three key lessons about time capsules, courtesy of Sandwich.

The medium is the message

Picking what to pack is the most creative part of a time capsule project. The 1876ers had a fine story to tell about life in mid-19th century Sandwich, but they told it mostly with pen, paper and newsprint.

Selections from history: Dr. Henry Russell of 10 Grove Street offered a handwritten booklet he called “Selections from history for the Centennial box” for inclusion in the time capsule. Like most items in the box, it’s made of paper, but unlike most of the box contents it shows some damage from water or humidity. It’s unclear whether the damage occurred while the box was sealed or sometime during the half century since it was opened. (Photo by Robert Thomson)

If you had wanted to represent a 19th century community molded by the presence of a glass factory, what would you put in the box? Charles C.P. Waterman, a top official at the Boston & Sandwich Glass Co., included 46 handwritten pages on the factory's history. It's an authoritative account, but pretty dry stuff. Instead of a management report, you might have put in a beautiful piece of Sandwich Glass - locally inspired, locally fired.

I asked Bonnie Lilienfeld, the curator at the Sandwich Glass Museum, what she might have chosen in 1876. She was up for the challenge, writing this:

"My first thought was the Wide-Awake lantern made at the Boston & Sandwich Glass Co., not for retail, and carried by Charles Edward Pope in an 1860 Sandwich Wide-Awake parade in support of the Lincoln-Hamlin ticket [the Republican candidates for president and vice president in 1860]. The Wide-Awakes were a fascinating and powerful anti-slavery, pro-Lincoln group...It's a wonderful piece of material culture that helps tell so many stories, about the glass factory, about the town, and local and national politics."

This lantern, made at the Boston & Sandwich Glass Co., was carried in an 1860 Sandwich Wide-Awake parade in support of the Republican ticket headed by Abraham Lincoln. COURTESY OF SANDWICH GLASS MUSEUM & HISTORICAL SOCIETY

But she was also aware of the physical challenges. "Unfortunately, it's probably too big and would take up the whole box and the glass is pretty fragile.

"Something that's small, fun, and much less fragile would be a Boston & Sandwich Glass Co. Lafayette steamboat open salt dish. Made about 1830-1845, their production may have been prompted by the launching of the steamboat LaFayette to Boston out of Plymouth in 1828 and out of Hingham in 1829...they help tell stories about not just glassmaking in Sandwich but also about the growth and challenges of passenger transportation at the time!

The Lafayette steamboat salt dish from the Boston & Sandwich Glass Co. tells a story not only about glassmaking but also about transportation in 19th century Massachusetts. COURTESY OF SANDWICH GLASS MUSEUM & HISTORICAL SOCIETY

"Of course, cup plates are always appropriate, too! They don't take up any room and they were produced in great numbers so they make a good representative product...And they allow us to talk about tea-time etiquette!"

These tea-cup plates, in a window display at the Sandwich Glass Museum, are among the best-known products of the Boston & Sandwich Glass Co. COURTESY OF SANDWICH GLASS MUSEUM & HISTORICAL SOCIETY

In packing a 2026 time capsule, what options should you consider? That depends on who you think your audience is, what message you want to convey and what items your colleagues are willing to part with. On a 100-year trip, they can be pretty sure that whatever the objects are, they won't see them again.

Would a shorter trip be more satisfying? You might still be around for the 25- or 50-year celebration to reminisce with your friends and amaze--or mystify--your children.

Protect the contents

In a scholarly article called "Modern Time Capsules: Symbolic Repositories of Civilization" (1992), William E. Jarvis wrote that time capsule projects must solve three major problems: Build a survivable time capsule, notify future recipients of its existence and exact whereabouts, and select and preserve the contents of the capsule.

One of the smartest choices the 1876ers made with their time capsule: They didn't bury it. Ground water, erosion and soil conditions have spoiled many a hopeful plan.

Historians like Jarvis define a time capsule as a repository conveying cultural meaning from one time to another, an object deliberately sealed for delivery on a specified date. They don't say anything about needing to burying it.

The Sandwich time capsule, a tin container protected by a green wooden box, was stashed in the vault at town hall.

Centennial Box Inside: The Centennial Box time capsule, now at the Sandwich Town Archives, is a tin box inside a green wooden box. It’s not much to look at, but it fulfilled its 100-year mission. (Photo by Robert Thomson)

Frank Leslie’s newspaper: The Civil War-era edition of Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper that was among the first items removed from the Centennial Box on July 4, 1976, is now at the Sandwich Town Archives. It survived its century inside the box remarkably well. (Photo by Robert Thomson)

The paper inside may have been an ordinary material, but it was a good match for its environment. Even today, half a century after the papers were pulled from the Centennial Box, they can be handled and are readable.

Jen Ratliff, the Sandwich town archivist and keeper of the Centennial Box, has some advice for modern time-capsule packers:

"Paper, especially modern newspaper, is incredibly acidic and would not survive in the same way as newspapers from the 1870s. If you want something to endure for a century or more, I recommend using acid-free and lignin-free paper. [Lignin is a large molecule found in trees used to make paper.]

"Acid-free paper resists yellowing and deterioration, while lignin-free products help prevent the release o f acidic, organic compounds over time. Together, these materials offer significantly greater durability and archival stability, making them ideal for preserving written records long term.

"Additionally, avoid using materials like tape, which can discolor and become brittle over time; paper clips, which may rust and stain your documents; and rubber bands, which can dry out, snap, or leave marks. In archival science, these materials are a constant consideration, as we strive to ensure our collections endure beyond our lifetimes and remain accessible for generations to come."

Tell everybody what you've done

The people who opened the Centennial Box were inspired to make the time capsule a town tradition. We don't have a list of what's in their Bicentennial Box. But Lovell wrote that lessons from the 1876 effort would be apparent to those viewing the newer box on July 4 , 2076. Let's hope they can find it.

After learning that Lovell had played a key role not only in reviewing the Centennial Box contents but also in planning the next-generation time capsule, I was curious to know where the newer box wound up.

When I asked town officials, they had no immediate answer.

History, as people say, doesn't repeat itself, but it sometimes rhymes. In 1927, Sandwich officials had no immediate answer as to why the town vault contained a green wooden box marked "To be opened July 4, 1976."

It took a while for the 1927 generation to figure out what the 1876 generation was up to. But the local officials asked around and found a former town clerk who remembered the history of the Centennial Box. They attached a clarifying letter to the exterior of the box, put it back in the vault and let it sail on to 1976.

Paralleling that research effort, Town Manager Bud Dunham tracked down a former official who knew the history of the Bicentennial Box. When town hall was renovated in 2009, the box was relocated to the Sandwich Recreation Department offices at Oak Crest Cove.

The Bicentennial Box time capsule, to be opened July 4, 2076, was moved from town hall to the Recreation Department headquarters at Oak Crest Cove during a renovation of town hall. (Photo courtesy of Candy Thomson)

The plaque on the Bicentennial Box indicates the date and place for its opening. (Photo courtesy of Candy Thomson)

Mystery solved. But would it stay solved till 2076?

Turns out the critical environment for preserving a time capsule is more than just a strong, well-sealed container. The environment around the box counts for a lot. In our case, we have two examples-about a century apart--in which a time capsule was entrusted to people who cared about our history.

In 2025, Town Clerk Taylor White wrote a one-page letter to the future about the Bicentennial Box. Copies went to the select board and the Town Archives.

"I have the original in my office and intend to frame it and place it on the wall along with a narrative" he said in an email. "Why? Because this will ensure that it doesn't get buried in a file and decades from now it will not be forgotten."

In July 2025, Sandwich Town Clerk Taylor White prepared a letter to future residents of Sandwich telling them where they can find the time capsule created by the Bicentennial generation for opening on July 4, 2076, and urging them to continue the tradition.

The letter begins: "Dear Citizens of Sandwich, Massachusetts,

By the time this letter is read, Saturday, July 4, 2076, celebrations will be well underway. This date signifies our nation's Tricentennial anniversary and should be celebrated with great fanfare and elaboration. As the keeper of records, it is my wish to ensure the current inhabitants of Sandwich are aware of the existence of a Bicentennial box. This box is slated to be opened today as you celebrate this momentous occasion."

White went on to pinpoint the 2025 location of the box: "the basement of what is currently known as the Recreation Department, 34 Quaker Meetinghouse Road." On it is a plaque that reads, "Bicentennial Capsule--To Be Opened--July 4 , 2076--Sandwich, Mass."

The letter continues in the spirit of the people who created the 1876 time capsule.

"As you open this box," White wrote, "it is my hope you will reflect on how far we have come since our founding." He urges the future townspeople to "continue this long-standing tradition and create your own time capsule to be opened on July 4, 2176.

"As I will not likely be with you all on this historic occasion, I would like to tell my daughters, Charlotte and Juliette, Dad loves you!"

Here's hoping that will be the Spirit of 2076.

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Bob Thomson is a member of the Friends of the Sandwich Town Archives, a dedicated, all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to supporting and promoting the archives’ collections and the rich, diverse history of the town of Sandwich.