Test of Time

A time capsule and capstone with two dates 1949/2014 (the date the building was originally erected and the date of the renovation) were installed into the steps of Parkside last Friday, signifying the official end of the Parkside project. The time capsule included:

Director of Development Wendy McGrath says, “I hope that when our capsule is opened, the ‘archeologists’ are able to sense the joy and excitement we felt about the Parkside project and come to know who we are as a school community by reading and seeing our words, pictures, photos, and symbols.”

 

This week, Head of School Debbie Gibbs, and CFO Doug Odom, Wendy McGrath, and Middle School Humanities Teacher Sarah Smith opened a time capsule rescued from Fraser Hall and dated 1966. That capsule contained:

The estimate was roughly $400,000. The architects for the project were Thomen and Cromar of Silver Spring, MD.

“Good places to dine” include: Mrs. K’s Toll House, Trader Vic’s, the Water Gate Inn, and the Jockey Club. A section called “Wearing, Apparel, Necessities—And You” warns: “Do not expect to be accepted in the dining room unless you appear well-groomed at all times.”

2 1964 half dollars

1 1959 quarter

1 1963 quarter

1 1964 quarter

1 1964 nickel

 

 

“It is very moving for me to get a deeper sense of the long-time educational use of the property and to look for threads. Marjorie Webster College was trying to provide an education for women that was practical and hands-on and had career possibilities. It was not simply the finishing school it is sometimes thought to be. For example, today I learned you could major in TV and radio production. It really was trying to be innovative for women at the time.”

 

“Time capsules are a mark of time. They contain what’s important to the institution at the time they are created. It was interesting to see the construction cost breakdown of Fraser when it was built.” Breaking down those numbers, Doug calculated the original Fraser building cost was $10.50 per square foot compared to today’s construction cost of over $200 per square foot.

 

“I loved seeing the photographs and the Student Handbook from Marjorie Webster Junior College. The Handbook gave me such a good sense of what the college was like. What I love about the photographs is seeing how others lived at Lowell and the fun discoveries about spaces we know now as Lowell spaces.”

 

“Touching the past brings it alive. Opening the box was like getting a surprise package. It invited exploration, discovery, surprise, and a chance to make connections. Seeing things like the Marjorie Webster honor code and the dress code and the references to LBJ in the school paper put current issues into historical perspective and in the last example makes a past President and a historic event (the Vietnam War) seem like the current event it once was.”