[This part of a series of guest posts contributed by the Tricentennial Committee to get the community excited about, and keep them informed of, the preparations for celebrating the Town’s big anniversary.]
In 1727, Southborough was incorporated town. Nearly 300 years later, we are preparing to celebrate an extraordinary milestone: our Tricentennial.
As part of the year-long celebration, the Southborough Tricentennial Committee is creating a community Time Capsule that will capture life in our town during 2027 while also honoring the history of a town founded 300 years ago. The capsule will be sealed during our Tricentennial celebrations and opened 50 years later, in 2077. To help make this happen we will need many organizations/groups to contribute as well as the help of many people to help pull everything together.
But this isn’t just a project about storing artifacts. It’s about telling our story.
What does Southborough look like today? What traditions bring us together? What challenges are we facing? What are we most proud of? And perhaps most importantly, what do we hope Southborough will become over the next 50 years?
The Time Capsule might include photographs, letters, local publications, historical reflections, documents, memorabilia, and carefully selected artifacts that represent both Southborough’s present-day community and its long history. Along with items from 2027, the capsule may include historical materials such as early photographs, maps, records, or images that help tell the story of Southborough’s first three centuries.
Because space in the Time Capsule will be limited, contributions will be designed primarily around schools, churches, community organizations, local businesses, civic groups, town departments, cultural institutions, historical organizations, and other groups that can help represent the full diversity and history of Southborough.
What Could Your Organization or Group Contribute?
- A letter from your organization to future Southborough residents
- Photographs, records, or memories that represent your group’s role in Southborough
- Historic photos, maps, documents, or images that reflect Southborough’s early years and 300-year history
- Artwork or essays from local students
- Stories that capture life in Southborough today
- Predictions for what Southborough might be like in 2077
- Artifacts representing local traditions, organizations, or businesses
When residents open the capsule in 2077, we hope they’ll discover more than objects. We hope they’ll discover the voices, values, dreams, history, and spirit of the community that celebrated Southborough’s 300th birthday.
This Time Capsule belongs to the whole community, and we invite local organizations and groups to help shape it.
If your organization or group has ideas, would like to propose a contribution, or wants to participate in the project, or you’re an individual interested in helping us pull everything together, please email Southborough300@southboroughma.com and include your name, or if you represent a group, the organization’s name and a primary contact. You can also join our mailing list and stay informed about Tricentennial plans as we create them and all the activities throughout 2027.
Let’s leave a message for the future and show the residents of 2077 the heart and soul of Southborough today.
Southborough’s Tricentennial Committee
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