A time capsule was found in the pedestal of the Tadeusz Kościuszko statue at the West Point Military Academy in the USA. The lead container was discovered during restoration work. As it has been established, it was placed there in 1828 – 26 years after the founding of the academy. On August 28, the almost 200-year-old capsule will be officially opened.
The West Point Academy announced its discovery on August 15, and two days later showed the capsule in a photograph. – This time capsule is a truly unique discovery. We are happy to open it and see what the cadets left for us almost two centuries ago – said the president of West Point, Gen. Steven Gilland. “The contents of the capsule will certainly add to the history of West Point,” he added.
The original base and column were designed by John H. B. Latrobe, a West Point cadet of 1822, and funded by the cadets themselves. The statue of Tadeusz Kościuszko, two and a half meters high, was mounted on a column in 1913. It was a gift from American Polonia.
Tadeusz Kościuszko Monument in West Point Youtube/West Point – The US Military Academy
West Point time capsule
During an inspection in 2021, cracks were noticed in the structure of the monument’s pedestal and column. Due to renovation works, the Kosciuszko statue was temporarily removed and placed in storage. When the pedestal was also removed from the monument in 2023, a lead time capsule was found.
“Employees of the Faculty of Physics and Nuclear Engineering of the Academy took X-ray images of the capsule, but they did not bring clear conclusions” – it was written in a message posted on the West Point website. Thus, the contents of the nearly 200-year-old lead container remain a mystery.
The official opening ceremony of the capsule will take place on August 28 at the Robinson Auditorium in Thayer Hall. The Academy said it plans to continue the tradition and place the capsule in the rebuilt base of the monument.
Time capsule found in the plinth of the Tadeusz Kościuszko monument in West PointYoutube/West Point – The US Military Academy
West Point Academy
West Point Academy is located in New York State, on the Hudson River, about 80 km north of New York. It is the oldest military institution in the United States. It is located in a fort designed by Tadeusz Kościuszko – the hero of the Kościuszko Uprising and the War of Independence USA.
Main photo source: Youtube/West Point – The US Military Academy