A time capsule from the early days of Williston High School was discovered in a wall of Building B. Photo by Terry Witt.
By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter
Excitement is building in Williston as word spreads that a much sought after time capsule has been found by a demolition crew at the former Williston High School.
Williston attorney Blake Fugate, a graduate of WHS, said it was his understanding the time capsule was found in Building B behind marble slabs on the porch of the building. Building B is one of the oldest, if not the oldest building in that section of the campus.
DeeDee McLeod, who works at the new Williston Middle High School, said a committee has been formed to make decisions about the time capsule and its contents.
A demolition crew is in the process of tearing down the old school to make room for retail development. The time capsule was found during demolition.
Fugate said he was told a member of the demolition crew who wasn’t looking for the time capsule saw something that caught his eye as he was working on demolishing Building B. He pulled the capsule free and asked what to do with it.
The time capsule will contain historical treasures of importance to the community.
Fugate said he attended elementary school in Building B. The playground was next door. The cafeteria was built where the playground once stood. The cafeteria has also been demolished.
Like many graduates, he has many fond memories of his alma mater and is saddened to see the school being demolished.
Some in the community believed Building B, because of its age, would be the most likely location where the time capsule would be found.
Gayle Cash, 83, who graduated from WHS in 1955, remembers attending grammar school in Building B in 5th and 6th grades. Elementary schools were known as grammar schools in those days. She doesn’t remember the building having any air conditioning because the teachers left the windows open.
She remembers Mrs. Stanley, one of her teachers, would “take a paddle to your hands in a heartbeat,” she said with a chuckle.
Cash doesn’t remember the time capsule being installed. She said she always thought there was a time capsule in the fountain out front.
She said she will be interested to see what the time capsule contains. She has old yearbooks that may provide more information about the campus.
Cash, who worked 32 years at the school, was a media clerk. She said she and others compiled a history of each of the buildings and kept the information in a filing cabinet. She doesn’t know what happened to the filing cabinet.
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Enterprise Reporting by Terry Witt July 28, 2020; Posted July 28, 2020
