Concord Township buried a time capsule at the old Spring Valley African Methodist Episcopal Church on Spring Valley Road Wednesday. This was a follow-up to the ribbon cutting at the church in February and coincided with the Juneteenth celebration, the day in 1865 when the former slaves in Galveston, Texas learned that they were now free and that slavery had ended.
“It’s a profound honor to recognize the importance of the Spring Valley AME Church in our community,” said Concord Council Co-Vice President John Gillespie. “Today, as we celebrate Juneteenth, we also commemorate the remarkable history embodied by this community gem through the burial of a time capsule.” (See Local AME Church restored for more background.)
The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission provided the capsule to the township as part of an award for the township’s restoration of the church. Gillespie said the capsule contains photos, news articles, and a history of the restoration project that began when the township bought the property in 2014.
“These artifacts encapsulate the transformative journey we have embarked on together,” Gillespie said.
Shelby Weaver Splain, the education and special initiatives coordinator for the PHMC, said the awarding of the capsule was part of the Community Initiative Award for the township’s restoration and preservation of the church at 270 Spring Valley Road, something she called a “fantastic place.”
“This award recognizes the hard work and dedication of outstanding organization of municipalities, agencies and individuals whose work is advancing and expanding the definition of historic preservation,” she said.
Kye Carter, a descendant of a church founder also spoke.
“Today is Juneteenth, a very special and memorable milestone for the African American community. It is also the birthday of my great-great-great-great grandfather who was a co-founder of this church,” Carter said. “One of the artifacts included in the time capsule is a picture of the five generations that are alive from his descendants.” (She added that the photograph also includes in it a painting of her ancestor done by Andrew Wyeth.)
Carter said she grew up with the legacy and a family motto. “Talent may be good, but attitude and hard work make you succeed.
“What we hope for from our family and pray, is that when this capsule is re-opened it finds generational wealth based on the foundation of our ancestors.”
The capsule will remain buried for 25 years.
About Rich Schwartzman
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
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