Former students race to find time capsule before abandoned school is torn down

LANCASTER, S.C. — Think back to your elementary school years, when classmates may have buried a time capsule somewhere around campus. A group of former students in Lancaster will gather this weekend to dig up a piece of history before they no longer have a chance to do so.

Dobson Elementary School hasn’t been open since 1993.

Donna Faulkenberry went there in the late 1970s and is excited about what they might uncover when they dig up the memento.

“I think it’s fantastic. I can’t be there, but I can’t wait to see the pictures and the videos and see what they dig up,” she said.

Part of the Dobson Elementary sign still hangs on one side of the building that opened in 1948. The district used the old school for storage for a while, but it’s fallen into extreme disrepair. There are broken and boarded-up windows, a leaky roof and signs of decay from the ravages of time. Some say it now looks like a prison surrounded by razor wire and barbed wire to keep people out.

Kennith Stewart was a student at the school in the early 1970s, and hatched the plot to go after the time capsule about a year ago. He started a Facebook group for people to share memories of the school.

He’s hoping the search for the long-forgotten treasure will get the attention of other former students.

“Maybe someone who put stuff in there is still living, and they’ll say, ‘I remember putting that in there!’ and just bring back some good memories. I just want one more chance of good memories from Dobson Elementary,” Stewart said.

However, that chance of finding the buried capsule is fading. The school district eventually sold the property last month to an out-of-state developer.

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It’s not clear what could be built there, but it’s a guarantee the school won’t stay much longer. The sale is what kicked the time capsule search into high gear, Stewart said.

“When I heard it was sold, I rearranged my schedule and said, ‘Let’s do it,’” he said.

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David Small was a student at Dobson Elementary in the 1980s, and he is currently the facilities director for Lancaster County Schools. He said there may be up to four time capsules buried around the campus, with each one from a different decade. However, there are no markers for any of them -- except for possibly one. There is an old flagpole where one may be buried.

“It’s going to be a challenge,” Small said. “Hopefully, they’ll find something Saturday.”

Stewart said he’s sure it’s there, but it’s just a matter of finding it. They’ve surveyed the grounds with drones and plan to bring metal detectors along with shovels and other gear. They hope the capsule or capsules are in a metal box of some kind.

The school building was considered for other possible uses, but the cost of repairs -- which included a new roof and bringing it up to code -- was astronomical.

For former students, it’s not just about a time capsule. It’s the memories of a place where learning was fun, friends were many, and the teachers left a lasting impact on young lives.

“I had so many good friends,” Faulkenberry said. “We had such a good time here. The teachers were wonderful and caring.”

She expects they’ll find toys, pictures and mementos from at least 40 years ago. The group said they have to find the time capsule first.

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