Crews working to restore a historical landmark in New York state discovered a century-old time capsule containing four rare coins and two letters from men who worked on a previous restoration project.
The Roslyn Landmark Society said workers restoring the Roslyn Grist Mill, which was built in the 1700s, discovered the time capsule buried in the concrete floor that was installed during a 1917 restoration project.
The half-pint milk bottle contained four rare coins: an 1863 Civil War money piece, an 1863 Haitian centime, an 1881 Indian Head penny and a 1905 Indian Head penny.
The bottle also contained two letters, one written in English and one in Italian.
The English letter was written by Stephen Speedling, who owned a nearby carpentry shop. He wrote the building was being rebuilt for Harold Godwin, grandson of poet William Cullen Bryant.
The letter in Italian was written by Romolo Capparrelli, who identified himself as the person who designed the structure’s planking-style concrete roof.
“To find such a piece of history is just really a treasure,” Roslyn Landmark Society member Jennifer Lister told WCBS-TV.
Lister said the group is considering putting their own time capsule in the building before the restoration project is complete. The mill is slated to become a museum after the project ends.
