Betcha Didn't Know?! • Episode 28
Episode 28 of Betcha Didn’t Know?!, presented by Reisterstown Main Street.
On July 4, 1976, during America’s Bicentennial celebration, the Reisterstown community came together to create a time capsule representing life in our town. Filled with photographs, letters, newspapers, keepsakes, and memories, it was sealed with the hope that future generations would one day discover what life was like during our nation’s 200th birthday.
Fifty years later, in 2026, Reisterstown Main Street commemorated the capsule by installing a new historical plaque at its original location in partnership with Franklin Middle School. The plaque honors both the community’s Bicentennial celebration and Baltimore County’s 250th Anniversary while preserving the promise made in 1976 that the time capsule will remain sealed until July 4, 2076, when it will be opened during America’s Tricentennial.
Today, this page serves as a growing digital archive dedicated to preserving the history of the Time Capsule Project. As new photographs, newspaper articles, memories, and stories are discovered, they will be added here so future generations can better understand the people, places, and events that shaped Reisterstown in 1976.
Were you there? Do you remember the dedication ceremony, helping create the time capsule, or know someone who did? We are collecting photographs, newspaper clippings, letters, programs, memorabilia, and personal stories to help build this community archive.
Explore historic photographs from Reisterstown's 1976 Bicentennial celebration and Time Capsule dedication. This archive will continue to grow as community members share their own photographs, memories, newspaper clippings, and memorabilia.
The dedication ceremony for Reisterstown's Bicentennial Time Capsule on July 4, 1976.
