The Hale Memorial Church Time Capsule
A proper lab had to be set up before removing any objects from the time capsule. Every precaution is being taken to protect the great history we have the privilege of unearthing. SCROLL DOWN TO THE GALLERY FOR NEW PHOTOS AND LATEST UPDATE!
A time capsule found in the cornerstone of the Hale Memorial Church wAS unveiled at the Scottish Rite Theatre on september 20th.
In 2021, Kim Blickenstaff’s KDB Group acquired the Hale Memorial Church on the corner of Main and High streets in Peoria, IL. Blickenstaff and the KDB Group had hopes of restoring the structure to its original glory and repurposing the building into a performing arts venue. After restoration efforts began, the church was found to be beyond repair. The structure had endured fire damage as well as years of water damage.
In June 2022 after careful deliberations and many heartfelt discussions, the Peoria Historical Preservation Commission ruled in agreement with the KDB group; the Hale Memorial Church would be torn down due to the building’s state of disrepair. This decision was difficult and weighed heavy on the hearts of all involved. It was painful to say goodbye to the beautiful structure that had become a trademark of Peoria’s West Bluff neighborhood for over 100 years.
In August 2022, careful demolition of the church began. The KDB Group worked to salvage architectural components of the building in hopes that some of the original glory of the structure could live on through new construction projects. During the demolition of the property, a time capsule was found in the cornerstone of the church. Records show the cornerstone was laid by Bishop Ninde as well as other dignitaries on September 20th, 1900. The capsule is believed to hold a Holy Bible as well as other documents that could potentially date back 150 years to the original Hale Chapel that stood on the property in 1868. In order to accommodate a growing population, the original Hale Chapel was torn down and replaced with the celebrated Hale Memorial Church that became an architectural landmark of Peoria. The discovery of the time capsule adds yet another layer to the historical legacy of the Hale Memorial Church and its gifts to the community.
The KDB Group was thrilled to share the unveiling of the time capsule and its contents with the public on September 20th, 2022, the 122nd anniversary of the Hale Memorial Church cornerstone placement. The event was held at the Scottish Rite Theatre in downtown Peoria.
KDB Group CEO, Greg Birkland, was tasked with opening the time capsule which proved to be more difficult than anticipated. Birkland used a small rotary blade to carefully cut open the top of the box. An expert independent conservator, Ana Lyra, removed the lid to the time capsule. She discovered that the contents were wrapped in a newspaper from October, 1900. She also found copper and lead dust from the saw had fallen into the box and landed on top of its contents. Due to the delicate nature of the documents in the time capsule, the copper and lead particles could potentially be harmful. Lyra advised that the process of removing the documents should be continued in a more controlled environment. Steps are currently being taken to build a lab with all the tools needed to continue the process. Once the lab is set, it will take days to carefully remove the items.
It is unfortunate that we still do not know what history lies in the mysterious copper box, but the top priority is to continue to preserve the documents found in the time capsule. So the story of the Hale Memorial Church time capsule continues. Stay tuned for updates!
This Page Will be Updated as Details Come to Light.
The Unveiling of the Hale Memorial Time Capsule Continues with Great Care.
Expert paper conservator, Ana Lyra, has been working with the KDB Group to acquire all the materials needed to safely remove the items from the Hale Memorial Church time capsule. The process is ongoing, but substantial progress has been made. Several items have been removed from the time capsule including a copy of the Holy Bible. Each item found in the box is extremely fragile and must be removed and handled with care.
Lyra stated, “Acidity and oxidation destroy the paper. The purpose of the whole operation is to stabilize and neutralize the items to a point where they decay as slowly as possible.”
Times and steps for conserving the items will vary as each item is different and takes its own special set of specifications. So far Lyra has found a Holy Bible with a red rotten leather cover, several newspapers (some bound with deteriorated metal fasteners), and an envelope of coins! There is so much more to discover. Check out the steps below to get a more in depth look at Lyra’s process.
Steps for Removing the Historical Documents:
1. Dry Clean the Material: Removing any dust or other foreign particles from the material. To take extra care, Lyra uses a soft goat brush rather than a vacuum.
2. Relax the Fibers of the Paper: Items are folded and crumbled up. Flattening the paper is a long process that begins with relaxing the fibers of the paper. First, place a piece of pH neutral, lignin free paper over the document. Using a burnishing tool, lightly rub in a small circular motion on top of the blank paper. This process can be thought of as warming up the paper to prepare it for flattening.
3. Flatten Paper: Place the document between two pH neutral, lignin free pieces of cardboard. Gradually add weight on top of the cardboard to apply pressure and flatten the items even more.
Lyra is currently at step 3 with the majority of the documents she has removed from the time capsule. The next steps are as follows:
4. Spot Test: Test the amount of soluble discoloration may occur and predict how tolerable the printed and handwriting areas are to humidification and deionized water. Check the pH of the paper.
5. Humidification: Flatten the paper even more if it is tolerant to humidity.
6. Bath: Place the document in a bath of deionized water to dissolve harmful particles that are adhered to the paper that did not come off during the drying clean process.
7. Flatten with Smooth Untreated Thick (1/2”) Sheets of Wood and Thick (1/2”) Plexiglass Sheets: Flatten under pH neutral cotton blotter paper, between two pieces of untreated wood first and after water evaporates place under two sheets of plexiglass .
8. Neutralize the Item: Deacidify the item according to its pH.
9. Encapsulation: Place the item in a chemically inert Polyester (Mylar) L-sleeves. This allows the paper to be handled without damaging or recontamination. This encapsulation process is reversible so in the future further advanced treatment can be performed if necessary.
10. Housing: place the interleaved encapsulated items into an acid free and lignin free drop-front paper box in a room with an environment control system.
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Expert Guidance
The KDB Group received expert guidance from multiple sources including Chris Farris, Reference Assistance at the Peoria Public Library, archaeologists, Dr. Greg Wilson, University of California, Santa Barbara, Dr. Dana Bardolph, Northern Illinois University, as well as Ana Lyra, an independent conservator.
Lyra was present at the unveiling of the time capsule on September 20th. Moving forward, she will lead the efforts in removing and protecting the contents of the Hale Memorial Church time capsule.
Born in Brazil, Ana Lyra first came to states to attend Bradley University as a student in Graphic Arts. It is here she found her passion for the Peoria community, her patriotism for the USA and her love of paper conservation. She continued her time working in Bradley’s Special Collections Department preserving and conserving paper for several years.
Lyra has integral knowledge of conservation and strives to preserve the historical integrity of paper documents. As an independent conservator, she describes the paper as her patient and it is her responsibility to understand the health of the document in order to conserve it to the best of her ability. We are privileged to have Ana Lyra attending to the fragility of the time capsule contents.