Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital President Jim Varnum yesterday opened a time capsule from the late 19th century containing a treasure-trove of information about the hospital and its namesake.
The time capsule contained an album print of Mary Hitchcock, after whom the hospital was named, a blueprint of the original Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital, an obituary of Mary Hitchcock from the April 9, 1887 Hanover Gazette and the charter of incorporation of Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital from the State of New Hampshire.
Construction on the hospital began in 1890 and the hospital opened in 1893.
The capsule also included the last picture taken of Mary Hitchcock, dated 1884, and an article from the Feb. 14, 1890 issue of The Dartmouth titled "The Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital," with handwritten corrections to the article written by Hiram Hitchcock, Mary Hitchcock's husband.
There was also a copy of the inscription on the bronze plaque that was in the rotunda of the Mary Hitchcock Hospital and a handwritten note by Hiram Hitchcock about his wife.
In early September, workers discovered the capsule in a cornerstone of the old hospital while they were working on its demolition.
Workers from Trumbull-Nelson Construction Co. were moving the old cornerstone to a part of the building not under construction when they noticed that a section of the top been cut out and replaced by a piece of slate, according to a press release.
"We were excited to find a crevice in the old cornerstone," said Ron Nelson, Trumbull-Nelson vice president. The old cornerstone was purely cosmetic, he added.
After removing the slate, they discovered a copper box, two inches deep and five inches square, according to the press release.
The crew foreman described finding the capsule as "a thrilling moment when we realized we had made a connection with someone from the past," according to the release.
Another time capsule was discovered in a cornerstone of the Faulkner House, a part of the hospital complex that was imploded in early September.
The Faulkner time capsule contained three 1949 pennies, a copy of the "History of Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital 1893-1949" and pictures of the Faulkner family, according to the release.
The capsule also contained a handwritten note from Mrs. Edwards Daniels Faulkner dated Oct. 28, 1950, a portfolio with pictures of the dedication of the Faulkner house held on Oct. 5 1949 and annual reports from 1948 and 1949.
Faulkner House opened in 1952 and, according to the press release, the time capsule was probably placed there in 1950 when construction on the building began.
Faulkner House was the largest building in the old medical center complex. The building was dedicated by Mrs. Faulkner on Feb. 2, 1952.
The College plans to demolish the remaining structures in the old complex with a wrecking ball.
The two-story clinic wing and the Norris Cotton Cancer Center wing will be taken down last so that they can serve as a noise and dust shield during the rest of the construction.
By next spring, the College plans to build a 200-car parking lot where the old Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital stood.
