(JTA) — A time capsule from 1906 was unearthed at the site of the former home of Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life congregation.
The time capsule was removed from the cornerstone of the building located in the city’s Oakland neighborhood. The site was most recently the location of the Pittsburgh Playhouse, which was being demolished by a company owned by a member of the Tree of Life congregation. The work was carried out around the cornerstone until it could be opened, WPXI reported.
The metal box opened Monday was full of historic documents, including old Pittsburgh newspapers, bank deposit books, letters and a membership registry, the local CBS affiliate reported. Some of the documents were slightly water damaged.
One of the most surprising discoveries was a Heinz pickle pin believed to be made out of ceramic, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The cornerstone and contents of the copper time capsule box will be put in storage but will be displayed or put to use at some point, according to the report.
Tree of Life’s current synagogue building in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood, which has been closed since the shooting attack a year ago killed 11 worshippers, was opened in 1953.