Chip off the Block
Leisner finally revealed the ballpark’s cornerstone, a granite block that had been set into the rotunda’s wall on January 5, 1912. It was an imposing stone, measuring four feet by three feet and one foot thick. “Here it is, ladies and gentlemen,” the auctioneer shouted. “This is gonna be the official opening of the cornerstone.”
He was referring to opening a time capsule hidden within the stone. Edward A. Duval, a city worker who remembered when the ballpark opened, said that special items were placed inside the cornerstone in 1912. Without his memory, the hidden collection would have been lost to history.
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To the topThe National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum features a collection of nearly 250,000 photographs like this one. Reproductions are available for purchase. To purchase a reprint of this photograph or others from the Photo Archive collections, please call (607) 547-0375 or email [email protected]. Hall of Fame members receive a 10-percent discount.
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