Berkeley time capsule contents unveiled: historic bible, anti-liquor pamphlets, more

A bible from the 1800s and anti-liquor pamphlets were among the contents of a time capsule found in Berkeley last week. Photo: Leonard Nielson

A time capsule discovered last week during the demolition of a Berkeley community church included a carefully wrapped 1875 family bible from one of the churchs founding members, newspaper articles about the church groundbreaking in 1948, and several other related records, such as a church history and roster, published sermons related to the founding pastor, and an architectural flier about the building. Several pro-temperance fliers written by the pastor, seemingly in support of an election coming up around the time of the churchs construction, were also among the contents.

Pastor Leonard Nielson, of the San FranciscoPresbytery which is based in Berkeley, oversees about 77 Bay Area churches, and was the former property owner of the church opened the time capsule Monday after it was given to him by developer William Schrader Jr. Schrader is constructing a new apartment building on the site ofSt. Pauls Church, at2024 Durant Ave., where the time capsule was discovered by construction workers last week.

Schrader has plans to put the box, with modern contents, back into the new Durant apartment building behind its original cornerstone from the church.

Have ideas for what to include in the new time capsule? Share them in the comments section below. Schrader says he will consider all suggestions.

In addition to the reburial of the time capsule, Schrader said he plans to install the historic church cornerstone on the site of the new apartments. He also plans to incorporate the churchs large copper steeple as public art, part of the landscaping on the property. He hopes those efforts will serve as a way to help carry some of the past forward, he said.

Ijust think you should connect the past to the future if you can do it somehow, he said. That building didnt have anything really distinctive other than this beautiful copper steeple. I dont want to just sell it and see it get melted down.

The copper box, measuring 10 inches long by 8 inches wide and 8 inches tall, had been soldered shut to be completely air- and watertight, said Nielson. He took the box home and opened it carefully so as not to damage it, he said.

In addition to the items described above, Nielson said the box also includeda 1926 book of government for the denomination, a bulleted short historyfrom the churchs founding in 1945 until its groundbreaking in 1948, bylaws of its incorporation, and some programs from the groundbreaking ceremony itself, which mentions the time capsule and its contents.

Its all just a bit of local history, he said, via email. Very homey.

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Berkeley time capsule contents unveiled: historic bible, anti-liquor pamphlets, more