Members of Prince Avenue Baptist Church were amazed when Pastor Bill Ricketts opened a time capsule that had been hidden since 1920 on Sunday, Sept. 9. The capsule appeared to have been buried by former church members and was found to contain various unique papers and documents.

Jerry Haas, Prince Avenue Baptist Associate Pastor, discovered the possibility of the capsule while researching the history of the church in preparation of the 100th anniversary celebration of the church which is scheduled in October. Church officials proceeded to contact Piedmont College, which owns the property where the church was originally located, and asked for permission to search for the capsule. The box was found on Aug. 14 in a hole drilled from inside the cornerstone of the old building located on Piedmont College property.

According to a report by Online Athens, the capsule held several 1920 editions of the church visitor, a church directory, copies of the April 10, 1920 edition of the Athens Daily Herald, a pamphlet from the Saturday morning cornerstone service held in 1920 and a Christian index from the Georgia Baptist Convention for April 1, 1920. Church leaders believe one of the most impressive items found was a handwritten list of what is thought to be the original charter members of the church.