Photos: State House Time Capsule Finally Freed

A time capsule was removed from a State House cornerstone late Thursday afternoon after a preservationist spent hours chiseling it out.

Officials planned to take the capsule, which was discovered by workers handling a water infiltration project, to the Museum of Fine Arts to be X-rayed and opened sometime next week.

Patrick administration officials say the capsule contains artifacts that date to 1795 when it was first buried under the cornerstone of the building by Gov. Samuel Adams, Paul Revere and William Scollay. Contents were added to the capsule in 1885 after a renovation project led to the capsule's initial discovery.