Artifacts dating back to 1800s uncovered at local church

HARRISON COUNTY, Ohio — A typical church renovation turned into much more after workers took apart the altar and discovered messages and items from previous church members dating back to almost 100 years ago.

"They definitely left those items for someone in the future to see, and we got to see it,” said Church Trustee, Steve Brock.

New Rumley United Methodist Church has been in existence since the 1800s with some additions and remodeling along the way. But its most recent renovation project for the sanctuary has led to a discovery that have brought together church members past, present and perhaps future.

"We tore it all out and while we were doing that, we stumbled onto artifacts, some blocks of wood and we saw there were names of some of the old church members," said Brock.

The dates on the blocks read February of 1931, but those aren’t the only items located inside the dusty and unconventional time capsule.

There was an old Cincinnati newspaper, and a hymnal among a collection of paper scraps.

“A lot of paperwork that was damaged; just couldn’t make out anything,” said Brock.

But perhaps the most unique find was a bible dating back to 1897; the pages still intact.

The church has decided to create a time capsule of their own with the discovered items.

"We're going to encase the bible properly and put the bible back," Brock said. “But we also passed around a sheet and got signatures from all the members, and we're putting in our bulletin; all kinds of information from this time period right now, and we're going to put in in some PVC, seal it up real tight and it should be in great shape for someone, 100 years from now to open it up and look at it."

When they put the bible back underneath the altar, it will be strategically placed under to pulpit so the pastor will quite literally be preaching on the word of God.