Westerly Hospital buries time capsule to be opened in 2075

WESTERLY, RI (Nov. 17, 2025) – Yesterday, Westerly Hospital buried a time capsule in its Healing Garden to honor the hospital’s 100th anniversary and preserve its legacy for future generations.

Inside the capsule are messages from hospital employees and leadership to those who will open it in 2075, marking Westerly Hospital’s 150th anniversary. Other historical artifacts include a gavel used by the first Westerly Hospital Board of Trustees, a copy of the history of Florence Nightingale’s cap which was donated to the hospital, a history of the hospital printed in 1950 – the 25th anniversary of the hospital; a glass commemorating the hospital’s 100th anniversary and a challenge coin distributed to employees recognizing the centennial anniversary. Many documents such as annual reports, employee newsletters, photos, videos, have been shared to a USB flash drive.

Westerly Hospital partnered with the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) maritime sheet metal program, taught at the Westerly Education Center, to design and construct the custom capsule – a collaboration that celebrates both the hospital’s century of care and the craftsmanship of local students.

The capsule features a two-layer design:
• Inner aluminum box (13" x 13" x 8.5") filled with mementos from the hospital’s past and present. Many hospital employees and board members engraved their names on the lid of the inner box.
• Outer steel container (16" x 16") that will protect the inner box when sealed and buried in the Healing Garden.

“Partnering with Westerly Hospital to design and build this time capsule at the Westerly Education Center was an exciting and meaningful project – made even more special knowing it will stay in our own community,” said Christopher Maher, maritime program coordinator, Workforce Development, CCRI. “CCRI is proud to give students hands-on opportunities to refine their metalworking skills, and while our projects usually focus on strength and design, this one challenged us to work with something new: time.”

“The Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner is delighted to showcase the talent of students enrolled in Electric Boat's sheet metal trades class here at our Westerly Education Center,” said Tom Pearce, director of the Westerly Education Center. “In addition to sharpening their new skills, the students built a time capsule that will illuminate for future generations how vital Westerly Hospital is for the community.”

This initiative follows Westerly Hospital’s centennial celebration this past summer, which unveiled a historical timeline in the hospital’s main lobby. Titled “100 Years of Milestones,” the display chronicles Westerly Hospital’s century-long commitment to compassionate care, from its founding on August 17, 1925, to its current affiliation with Yale New Haven Health.

Westerly Hospital, a member of Yale New Haven Health, is a 125-bed hospital that has been providing residents of southern Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut with a full range of inpatient and outpatient services in a community hospital setting for more than 90 years. Westerly Hospital patients receive the finest quality treatment in the following areas of care: emergency, medical, surgical, radiology, laboratory and rehabilitative services. The hospital also offers heart and vascular care, interventional pain management, wound care, pulmonary rehabilitation services, inpatient geriatric psychiatric care and comprehensive cancer care provided through the Smilow Cancer Hospital Care Center. All inpatient rooms are private. westerlyhospital.org