Shawmut Discovers 85-Year-Old Time Capsule at McCoy Stadium

 A construction team led by Shawmut Design and Construction discovered an 85-year-old time capsule enclosed in the original cornerstone of the former McCoy Stadium during ongoing demolition to prepare the site for the new Pawtucket High School project.

Construction teams have worked meticulously during the demolition of the stadium after being alerted to the possibility that time capsules or other artifacts may be present in the historic home of the former Pawtucket Red Sox. The capsule was found last week and carefully removed from the cornerstone. It will be opened at a ceremony June 23, 2025, the 44th anniversary of the longest ever professional baseball game, which was played at McCoy Stadium.

Shawmut crews are continuing to work with extra care in the demolition of the stadium because former Pawtucket Red Sox management and players believe a second capsule with items commemorating the longest game may be buried somewhere between home plate and pitcher’s mound.

“The Shawmut team has approached the demolition of McCoy Stadium with the utmost safety and precision, balancing progress with a deep respect for the site’s historic significance and the potential to uncover meaningful artifacts,” said Chris Maury, Head of Preconstruction, New England Region / Head of Rhode Island Operations at Shawmut Design and Construction. “It was an exciting moment for our team to discover, identify, and carefully preserve the capsule found in the stadium’s original cornerstone. We’re continuing to search for the second rumored time capsule and have deployed ground-penetrating radar technology to support this effort. We remain committed to a safe, respectful process every step of the way.”

“We are excited to unveil the contents of this time capsule, and hopefully another rumored McCoy time capsule, at a ceremony honoring the stadium’s history on June 23, 2025,” said Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien.

“As someone who grew up next to McCoy and enjoyed so many Pawsox games and memories, I’m of course sad to see the stadium being demolished, but also thrilled that it will soon be home to our new Pawtucket High School,” said Pawtucket City Council President Terrence Mercer, whose District 3 includes the site. “I’m pleased that this time capsule has been found and preserved so it can be shared with future generations of Pawtucket residents as a reminder of the stadium’s proud history.”