During National Hospital Week, Community Hospital will open a box that
had been placed in the cornerstone of the newly built Osteopathic Hospital
in 1964. Such cornerstone "deposits" were placed during a Masonic ceremony
that dates back centuries. One of the earliest written records of the ritual
was done from the 1739 celebration of the New Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
Such celebrations continue today, where local Masonic Lodges host Masons
from around a state and the Grand Lodge to commemorate the construction of
a building. The ceremony includes officials, and their guests, of the
building being constructed. The Masons parade to the construction site and
engage in a ceremony that opens and closes with a prayer. A square, a level,
and a plumb are used to check not just the stone itself, but to remind all
present of their virtue, equality, and rectitude. The stone is consecrated
with corn, wine, and oil. Local officials usually speak at the occasion.
In masonic terminology, the Cornerstone is the first stone placed above ground, and is usually at the northeast corner of the building. The Foundation stone
is usually the first stone laid underground in building a masonry structure.
The Capstone is the topmost stone that completes the structure. Some
abbreviations on the Masonic cornerstone or plaque require explanation: MW
Grand Lodge means Most Worshipful, AF & AM means Ancient Free and Accepted
Masons. There are sometimes two dates (in our case): A.D. 1964 and A.L. 5964.
The A.L.signifies Anno Lucis, year of light in Latin. The Masonic calendar
traditionally dated from 4004 BCE; the creation of the universe, Anno Mundi,
as computed by Archbishop James Ussher in 1650-54. In the mid-18th century the
Masons started using Anno Lucis dates.
While the Masons refer to the objects they place in the Cornerstone as a
"deposit", the term "time capsule" has crept into our language.
The first use of "time capsule" was applied to the torpedo shaped object
buried at the 1939 World's Fair in New York City. The plaque marking the
location lists some of its contents: tooth powder, bifocals, asbestos
shingle, and zippered tobacco pouch. A second time capsule was buried when
the 1964 World's Fair was also held in New York City. This capsule contained
artifacts from a newer generation: a checkered bikini, credit cards, a
Beatle's record, filter cigarettes, and freeze-dried foods.
The time capsule concept seems to run throughout history and across cultures.
Artifacts about buildings were intentionally placed in caches in ancient
Assyria. When a statue toppled at the Christchurch cathedral in their recent
earthquake, two time capsules were found in the plinth. Time capsules have
played major roles in the plots of some recent films: the 2009 science
fiction thrilling Knowing and the 2001 South Korean romantic comedy
My Sassy Girl (although not in its 2008 American remake).
What can we expect when ours is opened in May? In some other cases, the
cornerstone artifacts include a local newspaper, business cards of persons
attending the ceremony, information about the ceremony, and objects placed
in the deposit by the Masons. We will find out if the employees and trustees
entrusted any other relics to the box for our discovery.
Feel free to visit some of the sources I consulted for this article:
The 1964 marker
The 1939 marker
Cornerstones: A Masonic Tradition of Dedication
2002 Cornerstone Ceremony at the Elko Airport
Wikipedia on the Time Capsule
Freemasons and the U.S. Capitol Cornerstone
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- Posted by Steve Rauch at 4:16 PM - Categories:
