by Brendan Sample

While the Chestnut Hill Conservancy’s 100th anniversary is still nearly 50 years away, the current leadership is already making plans to commemorate the occasion by putting together a time capsule. The Conservancy is currently gathering suggestions from the community for items that will ultimately provide a reflection of what life is currently like in Chestnut Hill.

The deadline for submissions is March 27, and the capsule will be officially buried on the grounds of the Conservancy on April 27. Residents can submit their suggestions online at chconservancy.org/time-capsule. Suggestions that do not make it into the final selection for the capsule will be displayed on the Conservancy’s website.

Some examples of items that the Conservancy is hoping to include are pieces of artwork, photos, letters, essays, newspaper articles, menus and advertisements. As the capsule is limited in size – 20” x 10” x 10” – large items cannot be accepted, along with anything that will degrade over several decades, including plants, food and electronics. The organization is also requesting that any paper submissions be limited to five pages.

With the Conservancy’s Archives already focused on portraying the history of Chestnut Hill, the organization wants this effort to accurately capture modern Hill life above anything else. This particular idea has been several years in the making, as it first stemmed from a different anniversary celebration in 2017.

“When we had our 50th anniversary a few years ago, a lot of people were reflecting on the history of the organization and community as a whole,” said Lori Salganicoff, Executive Director of the Conservancy. “We ultimately thought it would be interesting to capture a snapshot of Chestnut Hill today in order to speak to our counterparts in 2067. It’s something we’ve talked about before and are just now putting into action this year.”

In addition to putting this together during the year of the Local’s 60th anniversary, Salganicoff also expressed her excitement over thinking about how Hillers will react to the time capsule nearly 50 years from now. With the Conservancy focused on both interpreting and preserving the past while also trying to manage change into the future, she feels that this effort will be a great way to bridge the decades-long gap.

“I just hope that Hillers in 2067 will see the results of our dreams, wishes, thoughts and interests that will hopefully have benefited the community,” Salganicoff said. “For them, this will be a window for what life was like back then, and I hope they’ll see that Chestnut Hill was as green, beautiful and vibrant today as I’m sure it will be 50 years from now.”

Brendan Sample can be reached at 215-248-8819 or at brendan@chestnuthilllocal.com